A Ranger's Gift
by Arabella Thorne
Summary: The Conclusion: Two little girls find themselves plunged into danger when their uncle, a Ranger of the North makes a late night visit. Dedicated to isiswhit!
1. Default Chapter

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This plot bunny came out of a spate of reading many Estel tales young and old...and I got to thinking: Elrond didn't just take Aragorn in on a whim, he has been harboring Dunedain for centuries....What about some of the **other **_heirs of Isildur he has harbored?_

So here you have this....

Dedicated to isis_whit...with many many huggles and good thoughts for a speedy release from the hospital! 

Dinna and Racell lay curled up under the quilt together. It was three hours past the dark of the night and the only light in the cottage was the banked fire. A sudden banging on their latched door woke up Racell right away. Shivering she got up and picked up the fire poker before approaching the door.

"Who-who is it?" she said, voice cracking.

"Racell, it is Uncle Nagron, please open up."

"Uncle Nagron!!" Racell squealed and quickly threw the bolt. The tall muscular man that stood there was a Ranger of the North. He quickly slipped into the room, hugged his brother's oldest child and looked at her, his eyes shining. "It is good to see you Racell, it has been a long time. Where are Analfin and Brema?"

Racell bit her lip and looked down at the floor. "Mum and Daddy died last spring uncle. Some kind of fever."

Tears gathered in her eyes and she wiped them away hurriedly. Nagron pulled her in close for a tight hug and Racell closed her eyes taking in the wonderful smell of wood smoke and pine trees of his dark leather jerkin.

"I am sorry little one. I am." His heart dropped at the news and he closed his eyes painfully. Taking a deep breath, he pulled her away again and said, "And Dinna?"

"She's still asleep."

The Ranger strode over to the bed and saw his littlest niece curled up in the blankets.

"Racell, I am sorry to do this to you, but we must leave right away. You must collect anything you want to take with you while I go saddle Whin. Do not wake Dinna until last. Bring any food and supplies you can, we are going a long way."

"Yes Uncle Nagron. But why are..."

"Shh sweetheart. I shall tell you once we are on the road."

"All-all right."

Racell was frightened by her uncle's urgency but knew she had to keep her questions inside until Nagron said she could ask.

Racell quickly found two potato sacks and stuffed in all their clothes and most of the food she could find. They would wear their cloaks. 

As Nagron came back in, Racell looked around biting her lip. That looked like everything.

The Ranger came back in and looked at his nieces sadly. He really hated do this to the little girls, but danger was approaching. The fact his brother and sister-in-law had died made their departure all that more urgent. He had to get the girls away. This part of the Wild had suddenly become unsafe. Their only hope lay to the east.

"All ready Racell?"

"Yes Uncle Nagron. Shall I go get Dinna?"

"No, I shall fetch her. Give me her cloak and go and get on Whin."

"All right."

Nagron went to the little five-year-old still asleep and wrapping her in the quilt he carried her out of the cottage.

As he was about to hand her to Racell so he could mount his stallion, Racell looked at him a moment and said hurriedly, "But I have to make sure the fire is banked properly, Uncle! We don't want the cottage to burn down!"

Nagron knew that would be the least of their troubles. "All right, but be quick."

Racell nodded and ran back to the cottage, braids flying.

She efficiently re-banked the fire and was about to leave when she saw the small sharp gleam of her father's knife, hanging by the fireplace.

Glad she had not forgotten it, she grabbed it quickly and put it on her belt. Headed for the door, she saw one more thing.

A small wooden box on the table near her parent's empty bed.

The box was her mother's and held a silver butterfly brooch and a tiny string of pearls.

Tucking that into a pocket, Racell hurried out of the cottage, carefully latching the door behind her.

Nagron handed the sleeping child to her mounted up and then quickly took Dinna in his arms.

Racell swiftly got on Whin and with a whistle, Nagron took off, Whin following closely behind.

Only a half-hour's quick ride and they had reached the East Road. 

Nagron looked behind them worriedly, slapped his reins on his stallions neck and the two horses took off in a canter.

Now if they could just stay ahead of their pursuit!

The Lord of Imladris found himself in an unusual state.

He was bored!

He could not determine why exactly.

He had attended his morning council meeting with his advisors, as he did every morning. He had then gone into the kitchens to see what was on the menu that day. Wandering down to the stables to inspect two fine colts born recently, he and Cerwal the Horse Master determined one had the lines of a brawny war horse.

The fields were just planted. The twins were deep in their studies of the Second Age with Erestor. Celebrian was out with several she-elves gathering the sweet wild berries in the woods for the spring mead making.

It had been raining for several days, and this was the first clear day in sometime. 

And he, he was staring out his study window at a beautiful early afternoon, bored.

With a swirl of his deep blue velvet robes, Elrond went to his suite and decided a long ride would be just the thing.

Changing into his leather trews and tunic, the elf lord picked up his pouch, small sword and cloak. Before he left his chambers, he wrote a quick note to Celebrian telling her he was going to check on the condition of the Ford and do a little hunting on the way. He would be back in time for supper.

Striding down the corridor, Elrond briskly put on his gloves. He ran down the front stairs and before he went into the stable courtyard, he ducked into the armory and got his bow and a quiver of arrows.

Cerwal rushed to bring Rhean his stallion out when he appeared, but the elf lord shook his head saying, "I will do it myself Cerwal, thank you."

In a few minutes, the horse was saddled and ready to go, as was the elf lord.

Mounting the restive stallion Elrond galloped out of the courtyard and over the bridge of the Bruinen, eager to be away.

The breeze blew back his dark brown hair and felt refreshing on his face. Ahh, this is just what he had needed, a brisk ride in the rain-washed wind.

An hour later, the elf lord slowed his mount down and let him wade out into the edges of a rain-swollen curve of the Bruinen, the sun sparkling on the swift current. He could still see branches and bits of detritus bobbing in the slightly muddy water.

Elrond sat on his mount and gazed across the water to the western wall of the mountains. The landscape filled his heart and made him glad.

His Home and refuge were thriving and all was well.

As he and Rhean had made good time, the East Road and the Ford of Bruinen were reached quickly. It had been sometime since he had been there.

Rhean surged into a gallop as the elf lord gave him his head and the two went further westward. 

As the moon rose, Nagron grinned out over Hamna's ears. Good, at least they would be able to see their way better.

Dinna had awakened and got excited when she saw she was in her uncle's arms but when he whispered to her that they had to be quiet because they didn't want to wake the sleeping birds, Dinna nodded and got more comfortable. She coughed a few times and whispered. "Sorry Uncle Nagron, my throat is sore."

"That's all right sweetheart. When we stop, I can make you some tea."

"With honey?" She whispered loudly back.

"With honey."

Dinna rubbed her nose and settled back.

Racell rode Whin tense as a drum. Why were they tearing through the countryside like this? Why was Uncle Nagron in such a rush to get away from the cottage?

Was someone chasing her uncle? Had he done something bad?

No, he was a Ranger! Rangers did not do bad things. Her father had been a Ranger before he had married her mother.

No closer to an answer, the twelve-year-old leaned over Whin and urged him on faster.

Elrond looked at the foaming Bruinen as it crossed the Ford. It was very strong here as the water from the recent rains flowed into it. The Ford itself would need clearing as soon as the water slowed.

He dismounted and gathered his energy and called forth the power of Vilya, quieting the agitated river. He needed to cross to inspect the condition of the other side of the Ford.

As the river quieted, he led Rhean over and continued on to assess the condition of the Road as well. His attention was also caught by deer tracks. Venison! Resaldil the head cook had been asking for some.

Luckily, the west side of the Road was in good shape.

Sighing, the elf lord turned to go home as the sun was beginning to set and if he wanted to return to Imladris by supper, he needed to go back. As he rode at a quick trot he looked to the clouds gathering in the purple twilight. More rain. He would have to make sure the fields would weather more flooding. And the Ford as well.

Suddenly he spied two young bucks and a doe and the elf lord took off in pursuit.


	2. Chapter 2

Nagron had them ride through the night because he knew they would be safer during the day.

Though it was still dark, Nagron knew the sun was rising behind the Misty Mountains before them.

Hearing no signs of pursuit, the Ranger let the two horses slow eventually to a walk.

Racell was half-asleep in the saddle. She had never been on a horse this long.

Finally, Nagron called a halt near a small tributary of the Bruinen.

"Come Racell, let us dismount and get some breakfast."

"That would be nice." She pulled up Whin and tiredly, stiffly slid off the horse leaning on him to get feeling back into her feet.

Nagron waited until Racell could walk and then got the older girl to take her sister. The Ranger hopped off Hamna and then took back little Dinna. He lay her nearby on the soft needles under a huge old pine. Then he went over to Racell and hugged her hard. "Racell, I am sorry to take you from your home in the middle of the night. But it was necessary."

"What is wrong?"

"Orcs, Racell. They have come out of the mountains north of here and are moving southwards. A small troop followed me and they were headed towards your farm."

Racell shivered in his arms. Her father had told her about orcs. Burying her face, she held him tighter.

After a few minutes, while her uncle slowly stroked her back comfortingly, Racell pulled away. "What do we do now? Dinna and I do not know anybody else out here."

Nagron smiled and brushed her hair out of her face. "I do. I am taking you somewhere safe." He stopped before her and pulled off the ring that encircled his left forefinger. 

"My father gave this to me. It is a very special heirloom of my house. With Analfin gone now, you are my only heir."

"An heirloom," Racell repeated as Nagron went over to his stallion. She looked at the ring reverently. She was not quite sure what an heirloom was.

The Ranger came back with a length of leather that he looped the ring through and then tied it around Racell's neck. "There you are. Now it is yours."

"Thank you Uncle Nagron. It's beautiful. I shall love it always."

He kissed her on the forehead. "See that you do poppet. Come, let's make a fire for breakfast."

Racell nodded and went to check on her sister first.

Dinna woke up as Racell came up to her. She sat coughing and rubbing her eyes.

"Morning Dinna. Uncle Nagron's making breakfast."

Dinna shivered and put her arms around her sister. Patting her on the back, Racell frowned at the heat she could feel through her tunic. Hopefully Uncle Nagron had some healing simples with him.

As she led Dinna by the hand towards their uncle, Whin and Hamna both raised their heads and snorted. Ears pricked forward in the predawn twilight, Racell could see they were looking back in the direction they had already come.

"Uncle Nagron, the horses are---"

"Quickly!" Nagron rushed to the girls, flinging Racell on Whin and tossing Dinna up into her lap.

"Ride hard to the mountains Racell! Do not look back! Find Rivendell."

Nagron quickly mounted Hamna and went towards the now audible sound of running feet.

"No uncle! No! Come back. Don't let the orcs to get you!" Racell tried to follow, but Whin was having none of it and reared, ears flattened against his head.

Biting her lip, she turned Whin towards the rising dark shapes of the mountains.

Wincing as she heard screaming and the clash of swords, tears coursed down her face as her terrified steed took off in a dead run.

Racell let Whin have his head until he slowed down on his own. Then she stopped him and he shifted underneath her nervously as she tried to decide what to do.

Uncle Nagron! She and Dinna had no else. She couldn't let him die!

Racell spurred the nervous gelding forward and they got half way back when Whin stopped and lowered his head quivering.

No matter how hard she kicked him, Whin would not go forward.

Racell, staring into the softening dark, let tears fill her eyes again.

Slowly she turned the horse away, leaving her uncle to his fate.

As she rode forward she knew she could not let Dinna see the orcs. She had to protect her.

The sun finally rose but Racell paid no heed to the light, letting Whin stumble on, her mind numb with the morning's events.

Dinna woke again and started crying. "My throat hurts Racell."

Racell unhooked their water bottle and let Dinna drink. By the Light of Heaven, Dinna could not be getting swamp fever too! She hugged her little sister. She couldn't lose her.

"Are you hungry sweetheart?"

"No, no, not now." She sat up tiredly. "Where did Uncle Nagron go?"

"He-he had to leave. We are to make for Rivendell."

"Is that another farm?"

"I am not sure. I know Daddy mentioned it once."

Racell sighed. She was tired and a little hungry. The sun sent golden shafts of sunlight through the steadily thickening oaks and pines.

When they crossed another creek, Racell finally pulled the tired Whin up and she stiffly slid off the horse again, pulling Dinna with her.

"Come I need to rest sweetie. But, I am going to have an apple first. Do you want some?"

"'kay."

Racell took her father's glittering knife out of its sheath and smiled at the beautiful curved lines on the blade and the inlaid handle. Her father had been very proud of this knife.

The girl took an apple and neatly quartered it, carefully cleaning the blade and returning it to its sheath.

Dinna ate the two pieces and drank some more water.

Racell cleaned her up and leaving Whin to wander for forage, the two girls curled up at the base of a pine and slept wrapped in their cloaks.

It was mid afternoon when the two girls awoke. Racell hugged the groggy Dinna and frowned as the little one groaned and buried her face in her sister's chest. "I don't feel good Racell."

"I know sweetie. Lay here and I'll try to find some herbs for you."

Dinna nodded tiredly and lay back down. Sighing Racell went to Whin and looked through her potato sacks, but there was nothing she could use to reduce a fever. She decided to walk a bit along the stream to hunt for fresh herbs.

A half hour later and Racell did not find anything. Going back to where Dinna lay still sleeping Racell sat next to her wiping the hair off her hot forehead. Now what was she going to do? No parents and now no Uncle Nagron. And they were in the middle of nowhere and Dinna was sick.

Maybe the orcs had gone and they could go home now?

The twelve-year-old put her head down on her knees. She was tired and her whole body ached.

Shivering again, she took a sip from their water bottle and threw a corner of her cape over herself as she cuddled her sister.

Elrond on the trail of the deer came upon the two girls curled up like puppies in a tangle of cloak.

Whin came up to Elrond and snuffled in his hair as the elf lord knelt by the soundly sleeping children and lay a hand on each of them, frowning at the heat of their illness.

Idly patting the nose of the inquisitive Whin, he said thoughtfully, "Why are these two young ones out here all alone and ill, my fine fellow?" Whin snuffled again and lipped the elf lord's hair.

Chuckling, Elrond pulled his hair from the horse's mouth. There was no fire, nor any sign of one. No signs of another horse. Could someone just have abandoned them?

That was too dreadful a scenario to contemplate and a shiver went through the elf lord. Taking a deep breath, he lay a hand on Racell's forehead to call her gently from sleep.

The girl sighed heavily and blinked tiredly. Someone was kneeling before her. Shivering again, she tried to sit up and rubbed her eyes.

The figure before her glowed softly like a shaded light. A hand reached out and cupped her right cheek. "Be not afraid little one. Why are you here all alone? Where are your parents?"

Racell realized this was not Uncle Nagron and sat up straighter, surprised that no stab of fear lanced through her. Calm flooded her senses 

and she smiled sleepily at the elf who gently smiled back.

"Mum and Daddy are dead sir. And I think Uncle Nagron is too." She let her head droop and the hand moved away. "The orcs got him."

"_Yrch_!" Elrond stilled and listened to the night very carefully. At the thin edge of his hearing there might have been something...

"Come let us be off. If there are _yrch _about, they move more swiftly in the dark."

Racell nodded and got up stiffly, her body aching even more.

The elf lord went over to Rhean who stood nearby and lifted Racell easily into the saddle. He then went and got Dinna who did not stir, handed her to Racell and then leaped behind the two girls. Whistling, he called Whin to Rhean's side and off they rode into the darkening twilight.

But the elf lord and his young charges did not get very far when his sensitive hearing picked up definite sound of _yrch._ So close to Imladris!

Urging Rhean faster, Whin also raised his head, ears back as he kept up with the stallion.


	3. Chapter Three

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Today is isis_whit's birthday!! Home from the hospital and Happy Birthday! Here's to a wonderful day...and perhaps some cake!!

Suddenly the thudding of heavy feet came closer and two orcs leaped out from either side of a clearing the horses were about to cross.

Racell clutched her sister hard, waking her and her wail of fear blended in with the two horses bugling in terror.

Moving swiftly the elf lord leaped from Rhean, cloak flying, his sword drawn and tackled the closest orc bearing him to the ground. He immediately rolled off the fell beast sword at the ready.

Rhean reared and Racell hung onto the saddle horn as the horse stood. Whin reared as well.

As Elrond dispatched the orc closest to him, the second made to grab Rhean. Racell, her heart in her throat tried to pull the horse away.

The orc jumped at the two girls seeing easy prey.

Racell pulled out her father's knife and slashed at the leering face of the horrid creature who just laughed and easily dodged her arm.

Dinna began crying again and as Racell attempted to shift her in her arms, she felt the rake of claws down her leg as the orc tried to get her off the stallion. She stabbed the orc again and this time the blade connected and the creature screamed as she pulled the blade out. Elrond, finished with the other beast, sprinted around his horse and dispatched the second orc with a well-placed thrust.

The orc dragged his claw down Racell's leg again as it died and Rhean hopped sideways from the falling beast.

Elrond quickly vaulted behind Racell, who was still holding her father's knife in shock.

The elf lord spurred Rhean quickly out of the clearing and once he was certain there were no more orcs, he slowed his nervous stallion's headlong rush. He spoke quietly to Rhean calming him. Whin slowed as well and nudged the elf lord's leg.

As the horses slowed to a walk, Elrond said softly, "You may sheath your knife little one. You were very brave."

Racell, shaking in the aftermath of the attack took three tries before she got the knife into the sheath. Dinna whimpered and once Racell had the knife put away, she clung to her sister. What a nightmare this all was!

She still did not know who had rescued them and though his arms were around them like Daddy used to do when he took them both riding, she was still nervous.

"What are your names?"

"I-I am Racell and this is my sister Dinna. Are we going to your farm?"

Dinna got taken by a coughing fit, which made her cry. The combination made her choke.

Elrond put his hand on her chest sending healing energy to ease her distress. She gulped and slowly relaxed under the elf lord's hand.

Elrond, still glowing with battle light, said gently. "I am Elrond and we are headed to my home. But it will be a couple of hours until we arrive. You need to sleep."

"I-I can't sir Elrond. I have to hold Dinna."

"Do not fear Racell. I have you both. Relax and sleep."

Shivering Racell gulped and leaned cautiously back into the elf lord's warm embrace, still afraid to relax completely. She held Dinna tighter and was gratified to feel her sister snuggle close.

Elrond pulled his cloak around the two children and laying a hand first on Dinna and then softly on Racell, he sent them into deep sleep.

Sighing the elf lord spurred his valiant Rhean on forward.

His mind sought out Celebrian and he sent wryly. "In my wanderings, I have found two little _edain_ girls. Both are ill. I shall be there in two hours, barring any more confrontations."

"Beloved!" Celebrian saw the picture of the fierce horrors.

"No, no my heart. All is well."

"Truly?"

"Truly."

"Have Glorfindel send a troop of archers to the Ford."

"Of course."

"The boys want to wait for you of course."

"You know how long that will last."

He felt his wife's laugh. "All right my love, we shall await you and your little foundlings."

Elrond sent his wife a lingering kiss and received one in return, with a promise of more.

The Lord of Imladris spurred his stallion on eagerly.

The two hours went by without further mishap.

And as the moon rose along with the clear voices of the elves, Lord Elrond descended into his Vale of Imladris, flanked by two other mounted elves who had joined him a hour out from Rivendell, preceding the troop of archers on their way to confront what orcs were left.

Once he reached the courtyard of the House, a relieved Glorfindel and Erestor came up to him and took the sleeping children.

Celebrian ran to her husband and threw her arms around him.

"Oh Elrond---_yrch_!" She hugged him again.

Wrapping his arms around her he whispered in her hair, "I am fine my heart. The archers will make sure they do no further damage. Do not fret so."

Kissing her he looked into her eyes shimmering with tears. Gently he kissed each eye and then turned her towards the House.

Glorfindel and Erestor followed with the two girls.

"Are the boys still awake?"  


"No you were right. They fell asleep an hour ago. Both of them wanted to see what you were bringing back."

The elf lord chuckled. "Well what I brought back is probably not what they expected, I am sure."

Celebrian smiled and turned to look at the children.

"Poor little lambs. I have had the main guest room prepared. I shall settle them while you go get your supplies."

Elrond kissed her. "Thank you." He strode off quickly to his surgery while Celebrian and the others went down further to the end of the corridor.

The she-elf opened the double doors and Glorfindel and Erestor gently laid the girls down on the bed.

"Thank you my friends."

"Do you need anything else Celebrian?" Glorfindel asked.

"Would you see if the broth is ready?"

"Of course."

Erestor went into the bathing room and brought out a carafe of spring water and two glasses.

"Do you need help undressing them?"

"If you would be so kind Erestor. I shall see to the little one."

Erestor carefully removed Racell's clothing, frowning at the gash on Racell's leg.

"This is an ugly wound."

Celebrian, finishing with Dinna came and looked at the injury.

"It is already going green. It must have been poisoned. Bring me a cloth soaked in hot water."

Nodding, the elf did as she asked. Celebrian wrapped it around the scratch. Racell squirmed in her sleep as Celebrian cleaned up the blood. "Erestor make sure my husband brings the antidote for _yrch _poison."

"Yes my lady." He bowed and quickly left.

Celebrian continued cleaning Racell's leg. Satisfied with her work, she went back to Dinna and got a damp cloth for her to put on her forehead.

While she was working, Racell woke up.

She felt very sick and dizzy and now her leg really began to hurt.

But they were not outside? She shifted uncomfortably and looked to see Celebrian tending to her sister.

"Who are you lady?"

"I am Celebrian, Elrond's wife."

"Elrond..." Racell frowned and then her face cleared as she remembered.

"He is a very nice man my lady. He saved us from the orcs."

Celebrian smiled. "We are elves little one, not men. Come tell me your names."

"Elves?" Racell was struck dumb for a moment. These were elves? She looked around taking in the very fine furnishings and rugs. This _was_ an awfully fancy room for a farm house. She looked at Celebrian and suddenly got nervous and she tried to swallow her tears. She didn't know much about elves, but she remembered her father had spoken well of them.

"Your names?" Celebrian's soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh sorry. I am Racell and this is Dinna."

"A pleasure to meet you Racell."

At that moment, Lord Elrond returned and carefully lay his supplies next to Racell, whose eyes went wide.

Celebrian joined him asking, "Do you need any help love?"

"I think Racell and I will manage. Little Dinna needs sleep above all."

"All right." Kissing him she said quietly, "I shall wait for you."

"Thank you." He kissed her back and the she-elf left, closing the 

doors behind her.

Racell looked up at the elf and swallowed dryly. What was he going to do? She had never had any serious injuries and had never met a healer. Her father had dealt with whatever mishaps the family had had.

"Racell, I see the _yrch_ scratched your leg. Did he injure you anywhere else?"

"No sir, no. I, um, your wife cleaned my leg. It is all right now." She hastily wiped away her tears.

Elrond smiled and turned to the supplies. Seeing the water Erestor had brought in, Elrond poured a vial of honey and syrup of poppy in a glass and mixed a little water with it.

Racell edged closer to her sister shivering. "My sister is real sick sir. Do you have some herbs that might help her? She is only five and all I have now."

"I will tend to her fever Racell, but your leg and your own fever needs to be treated first."

Nervous, Racell clutched her uncle's ring.

Noticing this, the elf lord smiled and asked, "Is that a special necklace?"

"Oh, yes I guess it is now." Racell opened her hand to show him what she had. He bent and picked up the ring, his glance sharp as he examined it.

"Where did you get this ring, Racell?"

"My uncle gave it to me. He says I am his heir."

"I see." He placed it back on her chest and smiled at her. "You are a very special girl then Racell."

Racell grinned. No one had ever called her special before.

The elf lord picked up the goblet and then lifted her head to help her drink the medicine.

She took a few sips and then tried to turn her face away.

Elrond said quietly, "Racell, look at me."

She turned and blinked. His eyes were deep and dark, black as night 

though they glittered with candlelight.

Her mouth opened as the cup gently touched her lips. She finished the medicine with a shiver.

Elrond lay her head back and then got a chair to sit at her side to clean and suture her leg.

As the medicine took effect, Racell began to feel very dreamy and dizzy. As Elrond lifted her leg and placed several cloths under her, Racell yawned and smiled at Elrond. He leaned forward and lay a hand across her eyes, sending her back to sleep.

Sighing, he got to work.  



	4. Chapter Four

The rain that had threatened the day before came as dawn approached. Racell and her sister slept, snuggled together. The dark and the rain made for wonderful sleeping weather and it was past noon before the two girls stirred and sat up.

They were both a little frightened by the opulence around them. Racell felt a bit better and she was amazed how neatly the bandage was wrapped around her leg. And Dinna had not complained much about her throat.

Lord Elrond came in quietly and smiled at the children who were holding each other and looking towards the windows running with rain.

As the elf lord stepped in, two small eight-year-old elfling boys rushed around the tall healer and jumped on the bed. The two girls clutched each other startled but when they saw the little elves, both girls smiled. Racell tiredly sat up straighter. "Who are you?"

"I am Elladan." He came up close to Racell and gently reached out to touch her ear.

Lord Elrond, having set his supplies down, pulled his son up by wrapping an arm around his waist and lifting him. Elrohir looked closely at Dinna, laying on his stomach, his feet in the air.

"Elrohir, off the bed please. Racell and Dinna are both very ill and are not up to playing now."

"Ada?" Elladan asked, "Why does she not have pointed ears like us?"

"Ada?" Elrohir asked looking closely at Dinna, "Do they speak Sindarin?"

"Ada, why are they sick?" Elladan asked as he wiggled in his father's hold.

"I shall answer those questions as soon as I take care of them. You need to go get cleaned up for the mid day meal now. Perhaps this evening after supper, you might visit with the girls, all right?"

"All right Ada." Elladan nodded and took Elrohir by the hand. "But Ada, but I still want to know why they are sick," Elrohir called back to his father as his sibling led him out of the room.

"Those, as you may have guessed are my sons. They are eight-year-olds and very inquisitive."

Racell leaned back against the pillows and smiled. "It is okay sir. They are just little boys...um, elves. They are just like Dinna here."

"I am not a boy elf! And I don't jump on beds."

"You did when Mum and Daddy were out."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Girls, quiet now. Dinna, I need to examine you both, so I would like it if you laid still."

"Yes sir," Dinna said suddenly abashed, scrunched down into the blankets as the healer came up to her side of the bed.

Feeling around her throat and then her forehead, the elf lord bent and lay his head to her chest. Dinna surprised froze when he did that and immediately clung to her sister when he raised his head.

Smiling, the elf lord went to his supplies and mixed a tincture for the little one's throat.

"How does your leg feel?" The healer asked as he mixed the tincture for both girls.

"It hurts a lot less than it did yesterday. I must be getting better."

Elrond smiled as he divided the medicine into two glasses and gave each girl one.

Racell and Dinna just stared into the cup and then glancing at the elf lord, who arched one eyebrow at them both, the girls drank the medicine.

"Sir Elrond, it tastes terrible." Dinna made a face and Racell, not liking the medicine either, bravely swallowed the rest and Dinna watching her sister, finished hers off as well.

Both girls made faces again.

Elrond chuckled and then pulling up the chair to Racell's side, he unwrapped the bandage and inspected the stitches. Touching the skin carefully he found only a little warmth. Gently rubbing salve into the wound, he re-wrapped Racell's leg.

Dinna watched avidly as the healer worked, leaning over her sister to see everything that Elrond did.

"Oh Racell, what a mess your leg is! It is worst than Daddy's leg when Whin ran off into the bushes." Dinna reached out a tiny hand and touched her sister's skin softly. "Does it hurt a lot Racell? It looks a little green."

Racell, holding her breath because it did hurt, just shook her head. Dinna, biting her lip saw her sister's pain and then moved closer to her and put her arms around her.

Elrond missed none of this. He put his hands around the new bandage and sent healing warmth deep into the tissue. Smiling slightly as he felt Racell relax, he straightened and blended another vial of medicine into a cup, making sure to add a large dollop of honey. Once again, he divided the medicine and said, "Girls, I have one more medicine for you to take, all right?"

Sighing, both girls nodded tiredly and did as the elf lord asked.

Finishing they silently handed their cups back.

"I will send in some food all right? And then a nap would be just the thing."

Dinna spoke up, yawning. "But I am a big girl. I don't need a nap everyday. Right Racell?"

"Sir Elrond is right Dinna. You've been sick and you know you need a nap. Maybe I could read to you, or sing a song?"

"'kay." Dinna snuggled against her sister and Racell began to sing her a song about the moon.

Dinna asked sleepily as Elrond cleaned up. "Sir Elrond why do your sons not speak the common speech?"

"They have not learned the language yet."

"But they were talking."

Elrond smiled at her. "They were speaking Sindarin, an elvish language."

"Oh well, how can I play with them when I cannot talk to them?"

"You must get well before you play Dinna."

Dinna nodded slowly. "Will they be able to talk to me when I am better?"

"We will see about language lessons for you both."

At that moment, an elf bearing a tray of food entered. And set it on a table nearby.

Elrond brought the strengthening broth to Racell. She sat up and took the bowl eagerly. "Can you hold it all right?"

"Yes." Her voice echoed in the bowl.

"Dinna, Elenariel will help you."

The elf carefully sat on the bed and gently spooned the soup into Dinna's mouth. She, like her sister, was very hungry. Soon both girls had finished the broth and a roll.

Once finished, the girls were obviously quiet and tired. Dinna cuddled up with her sister and yawned. She was asleep in minutes.

Racell, eyes half closed watched the elves tidy up and asked tiredly, "Sir Elrond will Dinna be okay? My Mum and Daddy died of swamp fever." She bit her lip as she looked up at him.

Pausing, the elf lord came over to her side of the bed and sat down. Reaching out a hand, he gently touched her face. "I cannot detect anything more than a raw throat and a fever Racell. Rest assured, I shall keep a close eye on her."

"Thank you sir." She leaned back into the pillows. "I am glad you found us." She looked down at her sister." I just wish someone had found Uncle Nagron."

"Perhaps the archers I sent out will discover what happened to him."

Nodding, Racell yawned and soon fell asleep.

Elrond smiled at the sisters, quietly got his supplies and left the two. 


	5. Chapter Five

As he walked out of the room carrying his supplies. Celebrian stopped him, each twin hanging off a hand. "The boys reminded me my love, that you promised them a day fishing down at the pool."

The elf lord stopped a moment and looked into each eager face, both of them biting their lips, looking anxious and clinging to their mother. Were they so sure he was going to say no?

"Ah, I did indeed."

"Ada! I am going to catch polliwogs." Elladan said holding up a small bucket he had been hiding behind himself.

"Ada! I want polliwogs too. And pretty rocks!" said Elrohir holding up his hidden bucket too.

"Of course. Just let me put my supplies away and change and I shall join you shortly."

"Yay!" Elladan jumped up and down still holding his mother's hand and Elrohir dove into the soft folds of Elrond's robe hugging his legs fiercely, banging his bucket against the back of his knee. "Thank you Ada!"

He peeled Elrohir off and kissed him quickly and then quickly went back to his study. Had he been so busy lately that he had spent so little time with his young ones?

And now he had these _edain_ children to occupy yet another corner of his attention. Slowly closing his medical cabinet he stared a moment at the beautifully carved wood. He needed to schedule his time better.

Returning to his suite, he quickly got out of his morning robes and got into a tunic and trews. Tying his hair back as he left, he rejoined his family in the twin's room. Celebrian had just finished dressing them in serviceable trews and tunics

Kneeling on the floor, the she-elf looked up at her husband as their sons ran around them excitedly playing tag.

"Have fun beloved." Celebrian said quietly with a smile.

"I will Cel. The boys will keep me quite entertained."

Celebrian rose gracefully from the floor. Taking Elrohir by the hand, she went out of the room, Elladan and Elrond following.

In a short time, the Lord of Imladris and his two sons were on their way to the pool for the afternoon, fishing poles at the ready.

Celebrian went out to the herb garden and helped Alathariel pot some herbs to bring into the House. Both she-elves wanted a few for indoors.

As Celebrian patted the soil around some rosemary Alathariel asked quietly. " I heard Lord Elrond brought in some injured _edain_ girls. How are they?"

Celebrian smiled down at the porcelain pot and adjusted the small plant carefully. "My, word gets around quickly Alathariel. Yes, he was down by the Ford and found these two poor lambs. One was injured by a-a..._yrch_."

Alathariel winced. "We haven't had a sighting of _yrch_ in quite some time. Poor girls indeed. And what of the _yrch_?"

Celebrian sighed. "We have sent archers to take on what they find beyond the Ford."

"I hope they kill them all."

"So do I." Celebrian shivered suddenly and rubbed her arms.

Alathariel looked at her in concern. "Are you all right my lady?"

"Yes, yes," Celebrian smiled and looked quickly at her friend. "I am 

fine."

Alathariel nodded slowly and went back to work.

Celebrian sighed and finished her potting. Just the thought of those creatures... 

Elrond watched his sons and only secondarily his fishing pole. 

Elladan had his head half way in his bucket and Elrohir was intently watching mayflies at the edge of the pool.

Suddenly, Elrond's fishing pole dipped and the elf lord scrambled up from his relaxed position and pulled the pole towards him.

Both boys ran to him, both wanting to get the trout to shore. Letting both boys grasp the pole, he let them bring the struggling fish up on the rocks where the elf lord very quickly dropped the trout into a straw basket lined with damp grass.

Once the fish had been put away, both boys forgot their pails of polliwogs and grabbed their poles, hoping for a fish like their father.

The dancing of insects above the pool were mighty attractive to the fish therein and soon, Elrohir's pole bent. 

"Ada!" he screamed, "I got one, I got one!"

Elladan frowned as his father helped his brother bring the trout to bay.

About to fling his pole in disgust, it suddenly bent and Elladan felt the pull of the trout.

About to yell for his father, he decided that he would take care of this on his own.

So while the elf lord and Elrohir chased the trout as it flopped about, having slipped out of the elf lord's hands, Elladan yanked his pole up and the trout went sailing into the larch tree behind him.

Swinging the pole down again, the fish whizzed back over him headed back for the pool.

Elladan was not going to settle for that and before the fish could get away, the young elf flung the pole aside and dove out into the pool chasing the dazed fish still attached to the hook.

Just as Elrond dropped Elrohir's trout into the basket, he saw his other son out of the corner of his eye leap into the water.

Elrond followed immediately after, Elrohir watching, mouth open, holding the basket with the fish in it.

Snatching his son from the water, who didn't even realize he had been taken out and brought back to the pool's edge, so intent he was on holding on to his fish.

Chuckling, Elrond set his fisher-elfling down and gently pried the fish from Elladan's clutching fingers.

Soon the fish joined the other two.

Elladan dripping wet grinned at his father, who was also wet.

"I caught one Ada, I did it all by myself!"

Elrohir said, "No you did not, Ada helped."

"Well Ada helped you."

"I caught the first fish."

"No Ada did! I caught the biggest one!"

"No I did."

"Boys, that is enough. Now one of you needs to catch a fish for your mother and one for Glorfindel. And I shall try for Erestor, all right?"

"'kay." both elves replied and then quickly got their poles and re-baiting their hooks, threw them back into the pool, making sure to keep well away from the other and watching their lines like hawks.

Celebrian arranged pots along a shelf under her large southern window delighting in the smell of the fresh herbs.

As she was moving them around to make sure they got enough light she heard a thump out in the hall through the open doors of the suite.

Frowning slightly, she went out slowly, listening for a repeat of the noise. There it was again, and now, she heard soft crying.

Moving swiftly to the doors that led into the corridor, Celebrian stepped out.

With a gasp, she rushed to the small form curled up on the floor.

It was Dinna, thumb in her mouth.

"Sweetheart, whatever is the matter?"

The little one looked up and Celebrian saw the fever raging in her.

"Mommy?" She tried to stand up and almost fell, but Celebrian caught her. "Where's my mommy?"

"Hush little lamb." Celebrian held the little one close and went back to their room.

Racell she saw was still asleep thankfully. Laying Dinna down, she went into the bathing room to dampen a cloth.

Dinna promptly got up and followed her in. "Mommy! Mommy, my head hurts." She quickly stuck her thumb in her mouth, tears coursing down her face as she leaned against the she-elf.

Celebrian picked her up and went to the window seat of the room and held the child, singing to her softly as she rocked her.

Once Dinna fell asleep again, Celebrian put her back in bed and then got the damp cloth and gently wiped her face. The Lady of Imladris sat with the girls for awhile to make sure Dinna did not get up and wander any more.

Checking Racell's fever, Celebrian was relieved to find hers was lower than her sisters. And though Dinna slept, she tossed and whimpered under the coverlet.

The she-elf left and went to her husband's still room and pulled down the herbs used to reduce fever. She ground them in a mortar and then dividing them into two mugs, she poured hot water over them, from a carafe that was always kept on a low heat on a brazier for just such use. Adding honey, she took the mugs back to the girls.

Putting one down at Racell's side of the bed, she went around to Dinna adjusting her so she was sitting up. Shaking her slightly she called softly, "Wake up Dinna."

"Momma, I am so hot. Can I go play in the snow?"

"Drink this tea Dinna and I will give you a cooling bath."

"'kay." Dinna drank the tea steadily, too sick to make a face.

Worried at her lethargy, Celebrian went back into the bathing room and soaked a towel. Carefully uncovering Dinna, she lay the towel over her, patting her to soak the chemise underneath.

Dinna moaned, but stilled as Celebrian rubbed her softly around her neck and face, cooling her off.

Making sure she was not getting chilled, the she-elf went back into the bathing room.

As she came back out with a carafe of water, Elrond, washed and in a fresh change of clothing, came in quietly.

"How are things here Cel?" he asked in a low voice.

"Dinna's fever has risen quite a bit. I have given her a glass of your fever reducer and I have been cooling her off."

"Excellent." Elrond went to the five-year-old and taking a deep breath, lay both his hands on her, sending healing energy deep into his patient.

He then went to Racell and did the same.

Celebrian, put her arms around her exhausted husband and sent her love to bolster his spirit.

He closed his eyes tiredly and leaned into his wife, grateful for her strength.

The two elves soon left the girl's room and went to their suite. Taking a long relaxing soak in their naturally heated bathing pool, they indulged in some slow lovemaking as well.

Once out of the pool, The Lord and Lady of Imladris dressed and had a late meal on the terrace outside their room.

"Elrond, what will we do with Racell and Dinna? Do they have relatives among the Dunedain?"

Elrond put down his wine, his face serious. "Racell is Isildur's Heir, my love. Her uncle gave her the Ring of Barahir."

Celebrian sat back in her chair, eyebrows raised. "The Heir of Isildur? A woman, I mean a girl. Is that not unusual?"

"Indeed, it is very rare. But not completely unusual. I fostered another woman before I married you."

"What happened to her?"

"Halanna met a Ranger and married him. The world was quiet then and they raised four children. I delivered her eldest and while Bardalin, her husband went on lengthy trips, she frequently brought her children here."

"And her eldest?"

"He never felt the need to stay here, though he came on occasional visits with other Rangers."

Celebrian, looking thoughtful sipped at her wine. Smiling, she set the glass down, idly twirling a strawberry by the stem. "Well, it will be nice to have two young girls here, Heir of Isildur or not. Dolls and gowns and hair ribbons."

Elrond rose and came around the table to kiss her. Pulling slowly away, she whispered, "It would be nice to have a daughter of our own."

"Well perhaps we will." He kissed her again slowly. "For now we have these little _edain_ children. I best go see how they are faring."

"All right, I will pick out some ribbons out for their hair and work on making a dolly for each."

"Thank you love, for taking on these little lost lambs."

"I think they will prove very entertaining, and I am sure the boys will think so too."

Elrond strode out of his suite of rooms and went the short distance to the girl's room.

Opening the door, he saw Racell lay asleep still but was twins in her blankets. Dinna, he noted with alarm, was not in the bed. Swiftly moving to her side of the bed, he saw her on the floor.

Picking her up the healer was relieved to see that Dinna's fever had lowered. But as he held her, she stirred in her sleep and moaned.

Elrond sat in the window seat with her as Celebrian had done earlier. Holding her close to keep her warm her rocked her gently.

In a few minutes, Dinna settled and popped a thumb in her mouth. Brushing her hair off her forehead, he bent and kissed her. She was a pretty girl, her brownish red curls framing her face. She had a few freckles across her nose and cheeks.

He could tell she had settled into deep sleep and so he put her back into bed next to her sister.

As he pulled the blanket up, Racell stirred and opened her eyes.

Elrond smiled down at her. "How are you feeling?"

Yawning she said tiredly, "Better sir Elrond. My leg still hurts a little And my tummy and my arms."

It is the orc poison Racell. It will go away soon." He pulled the quilt off the girl and once again lay his hands on her bandaged leg sending healing energy into the wound.

Racell watched the elf lord and then smiled up at him. "Thank you sir. That feels much better." She looked over at her sister. "And Dinna?"

"She is coming along Racell. He fever has gone down some."

"She will want to play soon then."

"You both need rest for a few days more Racell."

"More sleeping then I guess." She looked up a moment anxiously. "Is Whin okay?"

"He is fine Racell."

Racell ducked down into the quilt and pleated the cloth between her fingers. Elrond waited as he watched her think.

"Did, did anyone find my uncle?"

"I am sorry, the archers have not returned yet."

She nodded and the suddenly burst out with the question that had been filling her mind. "What will happen to us sir Elrond? Where will Dinna and I go? Can we go back to our home? If we can't, can we stay here and help on your farm? I can work and when Dinna is better she is very good at watching the chicks and ducks."

Elrond sat on the edge of the bed. "You cannot go home little one. It is too dangerous." He gently brushed her hair off her face.

"Imladris has farms that you may visit. But yours is a different fate my child. You are welcome to stay here. Unless you have other family?"

Her eyes wide, she shook her head slowly. "No, we have no one else sir Elrond."

She swallowed dryly. Shivering, she realized she was right. There was 

no one else. She and Dinna were all alone, unless by some miracle, Uncle Nagron had survived. Tears flooded her eyes suddenly and embarrassed, she pulled the quilt over her face. Now what would they do?

The quilt was pulled down and the elf lord gathered Racell against his chest and held her. "You will stay here then Racell," answering her thought. "And you and Dinna will grow up here in Imladris all right? My wife and sons and I will be your family."

But, but we are not elves. We do not have pointed ears." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands.

"No, you are not elves, but you are human and just as delightful."

Elrond bent and kissed her on the top of her head and then got her 

more comfortable under her blanket. With a smile he lay a hand across her eyes sending her to sleep.

He left and went to the kitchens to order them some easy food to digest, requesting a fruit pudding for dessert.


	6. Chapter Six

A big fat white candle burned at her bedside when Racell re-awoke. It was raining again.

Taking a deep breath she thought of all the things the elf had told her.

That she and Dinna would live here and call the elf and his loved ones family. Even though they did not have pointed ears.

Clasping her hands she looked out the window where she could see a branch of a tree waving in the wind and rain, the moving leaves reflecting back the candlelight.

There was a fire in the fireplace, which made the room pleasantly warm.

She looked down at Dinna and then lay a hand on her forehead. It did feel cooler.

Weakly, she sat up and swung her legs off the bed. She was tired of being in bed. She put a hand to her bandaged leg. It was sore and kind of hot, but it certainly felt better than yesterday.

Her feet hit the cool floor and leaning against the small table, Racell tried to stand. Her legs were wobbly but gritting her teeth, she made her way along the wall until she reached it to the window seat.

With a heavy sigh, she fell against the soft cushions and pressed her face against the glass of the window. It was cool and Racell closed her eyes for a minute.

She opened them quickly when she heard the door open.

In crept the elf's small sons. Quietly one came over to her and climbed into the window seat. The other tiptoed over to Dinna. Laying a small hand on her forehead, he shook his head slowly and then came and joined Racell.

"Hello. You are Racell?" asked Elladan. He pointed to himself. "Elladan."

"Hello Elladan." She replied.

"I am Elrohir and I like polliwogs," He said from Dinna's bed side.

"I do too Elladan."

"I like ponies too." Elladan added.

Racell smiled at the elflings and then touched herself. "I am Racell.'

"Hello Racell," both boys chorused. Elrohir added. "Your sister is getting better Racell."

"Our Ada is the best healer in all of Middle Earth."

Racell smiled at the boys, biting her lip. If she could only understand them!

Yawning suddenly Racell covered her mouth. The elflings did not hesitate but took her by the hands and walked her slowly back to the bed.

"Elrohir, maybe Racell is hungry?"

"I am hungry for dinner. We will eat our trout!"

"Yes! Trout we caught ourselves!"

They helped Racell sit down on the bed and then Elladan pulled down the covers and Racell lay down and Elrohir covered her up again.

"We are sorry we did not get any trout for you. Maybe Ada will let us catch more?"

"I could get you some polliwogs if you want."

Racell smiled at the two boys touched by their kindness.

The elf lord came in then and gently scolding them, the elflings hopped off the bed as Elrond brought in a dinner tray.

Elladan said to Racell while pulling on his father's dark green robe.

"Ada. This is Ada Racell."

"Ada?" She echoed back. She thought his name was sir Elrond.

Elrohir nodded and came up to the tray the elf lord had set at her bedside. He picked up a mug and smelling it, he made a face.

Racell laughed. "Medicine." She said realizing what the face was for.

Elladan looked in the mug as their father watched slightly amused.

"Medi-seen."

"Medi-seen!" shouted Elrohir as he handed her the cup.

Racell grinned as she drank down the sharp flavored cordial.

"Do you need help eating?" Elrond asked.

"No, I think I am all right." Racell looked at the food and saw it was broth again and bread and---pudding!

Eyes, shining, she picked up the pudding. "It is not even my birthday," she said in wonder.

"Birthday?" Elrond thought a moment and then said, "Ahh, what we celebrate is called begetting day."

"On my birthday my mother would make me a special dinner and a pudding!"

"Ada, I want pudding."

"Me too." Both elflings looked up at their father expectantly.

"You will, after dinner."

Racell put the pudding aside and picked up the bowl of broth and began to sip at it.

Elrond went to Dinna, gently waking her up. He gave her the cordial first. Elladan then brought the bowl of broth very carefully to his father while Elrohir took the empty mug and brought over the bread.

Dinna smiled at Elrohir as she took a piece of bread and sipped at the bowl of broth Elrond held for her.

As he lowered the bowl Dinna said to the elflings, putting a hand to her chest. "Dinna, I am Dinna."

The boys excitedly said their names back to her and then pointed to Elrond and said, "Ada." Dinna, happy about learning the twins name, repeated their names and... "Ada."

Racell spoke up around the roll in her mouth. "Sir Elrond said they are to be our new family."

Dinna's eyes glanced over the edge of the bowl at Elrond who was holding the broth to her mouth.

When he removed it Dinna swallowed quickly. "A new family? Are we to stay on this farm? I can help with the chicks and ducks. Do we get to keep this room?"

"If you like, you may have this room."

The elf lord returned the broth to Dinna's lips and she hungrily gulped the soup down.

When he set the bowl down, he replaced it with a cup of milk and she drank that eagerly too.

Racell was glad to see her sister's appetite had returned. Finishing the last of her milk, she picked up the bowl of pudding and slowly put her spoon into the creamy dessert and tasted it.

It was delightful, light and fruity. Racell ate every bite.

Dinna opened her mouth like a hungry baby bird when Elrond put in the spoon for the first bite.

Her pudding disappeared quickly too.

"Racell," she said excitedly around the gentle pats of a napkin from Elrond, "It must be BOTH of our birthdays!" She looked at Elrond, who sat there smiling. Suddenly, she threw her arms around the elf lord.

"This is the best time I have ever been sick sir Elrond."

Chuckling, the elf lord laid her back and the twins helped clean up the girl's dinner dishes. Seeing they would not need any help from him, as they were already half asleep, the elf lord and his sons quietly left.

Dinna, curling into her sister's side said sleepily as the door shut, "Is sir Elrond really our new Daddy?"

Racell slid down deeper into the quilt. "I-I think so." 

"Okay. He is very nice elf. Do you suppose he made the pudding? Maybe he might give us more if we help with the chores." Dinna yawned and then sighed heavily.

The older girl closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks.

It was sometime before she fell asleep.

The next few days passed easily for the two girls. As they got better, they saw more of the twins and were taken out once onto a terrace to enjoy the breeze blowing away the storm clouds.

One afternoon, while Elrond and Celebrian went to check the state of the fields and the Ford again, the two girls found themselves drawing at a table with the twins one afternoon in their room.

Racell, her leg propped up on a small stool, looked at the sheets of parchment before her in amazement. She had never seen so much paper before. And the paper was covered with drawings by all of them. And nobody seemed to mind the use of so much. Not even when Elrohir and Dinna's hands clashed inadvertently over a bowl of ink and it tipped over. Elladan had run for adult help and the she-elf that came in was smiling as she carefully blotted up the spill, efficiently cleaning the table. She then brought more parchment and a fresh bowl of ink.

Racell bit her lip as the she-elf turned to her and asked in careful Westron, "Do you or your sister need anything mistress?"

Racell shook her head and smiled at the elf who nodded and left.

Elladan held up a picture he had been working on with great concentration. "Look! It is a picture of Ada on a horse!"

Elrohir bit his lip and worked harder on his drawing. Racell and Dinna had been working on pictures of their favorite animals. Racell a horse and Dinna a chicken. The older girl couldn't tell what the little elf said, but she smiled at the drawing of a stick figure on a horse.

"Good Elladan."

"Good." He echoed back.

He came over to her side of the table and smiled at her drawing, putting an ink stained finger on the drawing, giving the horse a spot. 

"Horse." Racell said slowly.

"Good," he said again.

Elrohir sat back from his drawing and then looking at everyone, he held it up and waited for their response. There was large animal and a smaller one fighting.

Elladan frowned at it and then asked "What is it Elrohir?"

"Ada killing an orc."

"Of course." Elladan nodded sagely.

Racell and Dinna looked at the drawing and then Dinna said "Good Elrohir." She held up her duck and everyone exclaimed over it.

Racell enjoyed drawing with the twins, but she really wanted to explore. Now that she was feeling better, she wanted to go play in the gardens that she could see from the windows.

Carefully pulling her leg off the stool, she stood up carefully. Though Lord Elrond had told her not to do much walking, Racell was restless and while watching the younger ones discussing their drawings, she decided to walk to the window. Getting up, she limped carefully to the large window behind the table and leaned against its cool surface. She looked down at the nice green gown she wore and sighed. It was soft and pretty and the nicest thing she had ever worn. Living on a farm out in the Wild didn't offer too many occasions to dress up. She had had three outfits, much mended. She looked over at the new doll sitting next to Dinna that she had named Almana and would not be parted with. Dinna had had a wooden doll her mother had dressed in left over material. Dinna still had the doll and Almana and Cas had become very good friends.

Racell looked at the doll Celebrian had made for her as well. Cas had been Racell's doll but she had given it to Dinna for her last birthday because Dinna had lost her doll Tilla.

Daddy had told her later that he thought some animal had probably run off with it because she had left it out in the barn.

Idly listening to the children behind her, Racell looked sightlessly out into the garden below.

This world of the elves was so completely different from her previous world. She did not have to work, she did not have to tend animals or watch Dinna all the time. She and Dinna had their own room and these nice gowns. They could bathe every day. And their meals were amazingly varied and delicious.

The medicine of course was not too tasty.

Tears came to her eyes. Oh if Mum and Daddy could only be here and have a nice room too! And Uncle Nagron!

Racell suddenly wanted to be alone and glancing at the other three saw that they were quite occupied and so she slipped out of the room, limping.


	7. Chapter Seven

Once outside, she was not sure where to go, but seeing a door at the end of the corridor, she went towards it.

By the time she reached it, she was very tired, but the outdoors beckoned and Racell carefully went outside in the rain fresh air and hobbled to a nearby bench.

Falling on it with a sigh she looked around at the beautiful landscape and the corner of the house that swept towards the mountains behind her. This Rivendell was huge. 

Folding her arms down on the stone balustrade behind the bench, she lay her head down, overwhelmed by a sense of displacement. No matter how kind the elves were, how would she and Dinna ever fit in comfortably here?

Racell sleepily thought that she and Dinna would just have to work hard. Perhaps once they got chores, some kind of work, they would not feel so strange. They would be too busy to worry about it.

Racell fell asleep.

Shivering, she awoke an hour later. The sun was sliding to the mountain gorge to the west. Yawning, Racell rubbed her head tiredly and pushed herself up. Her leg still hurt some and the stitches pulled. She could not wait for that all to go away, but Elrond had said it would take at least another week.

With a sigh, she stood up with a wobble and went back to the House.

Entering the corridor she looked at the closed doors with some trepidation: She could not recall which one she had stepped out of.

Leaning on the cool wall for support she hobbled down to where she thought she had been and tried the door. It was an empty study.

Closing the door, she got a bit nervous.

Biting her lip, Racell tried to hobble on, but her leg was feeling very tight and tired. Slumping to the floor she bit back tears. And then she put her head on her knees.

Lost in unhappy thoughts, it took her a moment to realize the twins and Dinna were standing around her. The twins helped her stand and Dinna moved to help support her down the hall back to the girl's room, where they had been drawing.

They helped Racell to the bed and pulled the blankets around her. She lay back with a sigh.

Dinna said sitting next to her. "Racell, are you okay? Why did you go out in the hall?"

"I-I just needed to think Dinna." She looked at the twins who had gone back to drawing. "Do we fit in here? How can we really be a part of their family? We are not elves." Racell tiredly closed her eyes.

Dinna patted her older sister and then flung her arms around her. "You still have me Racell. And I love you and I am your family." Dinna pulled up her dolly that Celebrian had made for her. "Almana is now part of our family. Cas is happy." Dinna kissed Racell and lay her head on her sister's chest. "I miss Mum and Daddy too Racell. I miss the farm. But I have you and the twins are fun and I have never had anybody besides you to play with before. And-and Ada Elrond is very nice. I am not sick anymore."

Racell sat up and looked at her little sister shocked. ""Ada" Elrond? You are calling him that?"

"Elladan and Elrohir call him that and he does not mind. He just smiles when I say that. Ada means "daddy"."

"Oh Dinna." Racell's heart hurt as she brushed her sister's hair back. "He-he is not our Daddy Dinna. He is just a nice, a nice elf."

"And Nana Celebrian? She is just a nice elf too?"

"Yes, of course. "Nana"?"

"It is the twins word for Moma."

Racell sighed heavily and hugged her sister.

She didn't know how to feel now. If Dinna was happy here, what could she say? She wanted her sister to be happy. And she was much better. Sir Elrond had said she could go out and play in the next few days.

Racell moved her leg with the stitches in it. For her of course it would take a bit longer to be better.

Oh what to do? What to do? She looked over at her sister who had rejoined the twins drawing. She threw her blanket over her head. Oh maybe a nap would help her. Closing her eyes tiredly she tried to fall asleep.

When next she opened her eyes, she found herself on her back, the quilt down and Elrond gently unwrapping her bandage. They were alone.

"Hello Racell. How are you feeling? The twins told me you tried to walk about some and got very tired."

She nodded. "Sorry," she said in a low voice, "I was, well I just needed to think."

As the elf lord worked, he asked quietly, "About what?"

"About, well, about Dinna and me living here."

"Is there a problem?"

"No-no. I-I..."

Elrond looked at the young girl and stopped a moment. He could easily see she was very troubled by something. "Are you unhappy here Racell?"

"No. No this is all so very nice. And you and your wife and the boys are so nice and...fun. But, but..." Racell covered her eyes trying to hide her tears. "I miss my Mum and Daddy and Dinna is already calling you Ada Elrond and I am so very afraid she will forget our parents. And-and..."

Racell could not help herself, she was overcome with tears.

Elrond finished what he was doing and pulled her to him. "Do not worry Racell. Dinna will not forget your parents, and neither will you. Dinna just needs things to be stable and so do you. We are your new family. We cannot replace your mother and father, but my wife and I and my sons can certainly shelter you and care for you and see you grow up prepared to face your destiny. You are welcome to call me Ada if you wish."

He set her back amongst the pillows, his face warm and serious, catching her attention. "Remember I said you were very special because of that ring your uncle gave you?"

"Yes."

"The ring is an heirloom of my brother Elros' House, the kings of Numenor and you are a descendant of his. I have sworn to help protect his heirs any way I can until one day, one will be able to claim the kingship of Men and once again unite the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor."

"I am related to a king?"

"Yes through your father's line. That means you are very special to me as well as to your own family. We are very distantly related Racell."

"So, so we ARE family?" She fondled one of her ears. "Even though we are not elves?"

"Indeed." He brushed her hair softly off her face. "Now rest Racell. In a few days, we can talk about lessons."

"Lessons?"

"Yes. Reading and writing, history and mathematics, archery, horseback riding, things of that nature."

"Reading? I would really like that. Dinna and I know how to write our names." She said proudly.

"Excellent. So you at least know your letters."

"Yes. We can both recite the alphabet. But, ah I am not sure we can write all of them down."

"Well, we shall work on that."

"All right thank you sir..um...Ada Elrond."

Smiling, the elf lord rose from the bed and cleaned up his supplies. As he did so, he said quietly, "Tonight, would you like to have dinner with my family and I? It will be outside on the terrace."

Racell nodded. "That would be very nice. I really want to go outside and play...um, after lessons and chores and everything."

"Soon little one soon. Dinner will be in about an hour."  


"Thank you, for everything."

Elrond, feeling her uncertainty, came back to her bedside and kissed her on top of her head. "You are welcome little sparrow."

Smiling Racell clutched her new dolly Banda and held her close as the elf closed the door.

Maybe it would not be so bad to have an elf for a new Daddy.

Dinna was outside on the lawn playing tag with the twins. Racell, ready to have her stitches removed watched from a padded bench, a small pillowed footstool under injured leg. She could not wait to run like Dinna. She sipped at the fresh lemonade she had been given and watched with a sigh. Soon.

Dinna and the twins ran up to her laughing and panting and grabbing their glasses of lemonade, noisily slurping them down. All took a piece of sliced fruit and flung themselves down on the soft grass.

Racell was delighted to see Dinna back to her previous health and truth be told, she was blooming in the soft sun and care she received here. Their last year without their parents had been very hard on both girls, more so on Racell since she was the oldest. It was nice to not have to worry about every meal and repairs and forage for the chickens and Whin.

She smiled as she remembered the first day out in the sun and an elf had brought Whin to her, with no lead rope. His brown coat shone as he came up to her and snuffled in her hair as she ran a hand down his satiny neck.

He was thriving in Rivendell as she and Dinna were.

The first days out of bed and the two girls constantly asked either Celebrian or Elrond for chores to do. When they were gently told they did not need to do chores, that everything was taken care of, they didn't know what to do with themselves.

The twins helped them out with their uneasiness. And soon the children grew adept at sign language and the back and forth smattering of Sindarin and Westron that they learned.

They showed them how to make their bed and clean up the bathing room. The toys that slowly made it into their room were given places to reside when they were not in use.

And when that was all done, the boys showed them how to help out in the stables. Here Racell and Dinna were their equal as they had already had plenty of experience in taking care of Whin and the family's chickens. 

One afternoon, Dinna came back to the porch where Racell sat attempting embroidery with a she-elf named Alathiriel, one of Lady Celebrian's handmaidens and plopped on the floor near her sister's footstool. 

With a happy sigh, she ran her hand along the fine wood of the cane Racell used to get around with.

"Well, I showed them."

"You showed who what?" Racell said, biting her lip trying to get a stitch straight. 

"I showed Elladan and Elrohir how to plant a garden. We found a plot near the stables and we got some seeds from the head gardener and he gave us some spades. We each had one Racell! They had enough for all of us. And I showed them how to plant the seeds and told them how to water and everything. And even though they don't talk like us"

Alathiriel (who spoke Westron) said, "Well I am sure their mother and father will be delighted mistress Dinna as the twins have not shown much aptitude for gardening before."

"Well, I showed them." She held up her hands and Racell finally looked at her sister and broke out in a big smile. "And see, I didn't get too muddy!"

Dinna had streaks of dirt all over her face and gown and there was still plenty of dirt under her finger nails.

"You still have brought a lot of the garden back to me little gopher!"

Alathiriel smiled and looking at the two girls said, "Well, I think it's time for Mistress Dinna to have a bath. If you want Racell, I can take her in hand."

Racell sighed and nodded. "Thank you Alathiriel."

The she-elf rose and took the dirty little five-year-old into the House.

Racell, concentrating on her embroidery did not notice the approach of Lord Elrond who stood watching his patient a moment, glad to see that she was working on the embroidery. He knew she desperately wanted to join the others in play.

"Good afternoon Racell. How is your embroidery coming along?

"I am able to do the leaves my lord, but the flowers are harder." She bit her lip as she was finishing the last petal.

The elf lord watched in silence a moment. As Racell sighed in exasperation, the elf lord crouched next to her and said, "I can show you how to do that."

"All right." Racell handed him the needle and linen and sat up to watch Elrond smoothly pull the needle through the cloth and tidily finish off the petal. "Did you see how I did that?"

She nodded and took the cloth back and tried what he had shown her on another petal and it didn't tangle.

Looking up with a big grin she said, "Thank you so much! Alathiriel showed me but I didn't get it. Now I do."

"Well speaking of stitches, come, it is time to remove yours."

Elrond picked up her slight form after he lay aside her embroidery. 

As they walked to his surgery, Racell asked nervously, "Will it hurt?"

"No, do not worry."

"This means I can walk and play and everything?"

"Yes," the elf lord said as they entered his study and went into his nearby surgery.

Laying her on the table, he turned to pull out his needed supplies.

"Tomorrow we will start lessons for your sister and you. In language and writing, all right?"

He turned, holding a small knife and two small vials. Setting them aside, he lay cloths near her leg and got to work. 

First her damped a cloth thoroughly with liquid from one vial and then gently pressed the cloth in several places along the line of stitches.

Racell hissed at the very cold feeling she got and shivered.

Elrond smiled and then carefully went about slicing the small precise stitches and pulling them out.

Racell could feel nothing, as her leg was very numb.

In about 20 minutes, the stitches were removed and once Elrond rubbed some salve into her skin, he helped her off the table and let her stand, holding her arm so she could get her balance.

She walked a bit and turned to look at the tall elf lord who was smiling at her progress.

"I can walk and it doesn't hurt Ada, sir, Elrond. It feels a little weak, but oh, this is great."

Elrond turned to clean up the surgery while Racell walked out carefully into the elf lord's study and went to the terrace doors that over looked the family's private garden.

Pressing her face against the glass, she saw that Dinna was back out playing tag with the twins again, though Lady Celebrian was watching while she did some gardening.

"Would you like to go down? I do not think you are quite up to running, but you can certainly join them. You can use the swing there."

Grinning, Racell slowly went out and took the stairs carefully down to the garden, Elrond following closely she stepped out into the lawn smiling at her sister.

"Racell, you can walk okay and," Dinna looked at the healer, "can you play now right?"

He nodded and Dinna pulled her over to the twins who were intrigued by a toad they found under the lilac bush.

Racell joined them as they hunted the amphibian.

Elrond joined his wife, who was just finishing putting a violet in a pot. Smiling, she said as she tamped the dirt down. "Well now Racell can be a normal little _edain_ girl for awhile."

"Yes. She needs a little time free from worries about her sister and what she can do to help. I have told her she and her sister will begin lessons tomorrow. And I have just the perfect elf for the job."

"Oh yes?" she looked at her husband. "And who would that be?"

"Manarenil."

Celebrian put the pot down, her eyes going deep with emotion.

"An interesting choice my love. Why Manarenil?"

"He needs purpose. He feels half an elf because he has lost his lower 

left leg. He still rides and I have seen him practicing with his dagger. But his fea is quite troubled. It is clouding up with sadness and a sense of uselessness. I have seen him pulling away from the rest of us in Imladris."

"Elrond, he will not take anything he perceives as charity."

"I know this love. I have a plan for that as well."

Celebrian hugged her husband, who slipped his arm around her waist kissing her.

"You are a wonderful elf my heart."

"Ada, nana, look Racell caught the toad! Can we keep him?"

"Elladan, I have told you before we must allow the animals to lead their own lives as they should." Elrond looked at Elladan clutching the struggling amphibian.

Elrohir flung himself into his father's lap. "But the toad WANTS to stay with us Ada. We asked and he is bored with this garden."

"All right then," Celebrian spoke up rising from the stone bench and straightening her gown, "we shall give him a place in my garden."

"Yay!" Elrohir ran off, Elladan joining in the rush with the toad. Dinna, about to take off looked at Racell. "Can you run Racell?"

"I'll try!" she took off slowly, walking very fast and then attempting to run. But her leg buckled and she fell near the garden gate. Elrond swiftly went to her and picked her up. "Are you hurt Racell? Did you twist anything? I told you no running little sparrow."

"I am sorry, I just couldn't help myself. Um, it is just a little weak. You can put me down. I am okay."

Carefully setting her down, he frowned slightly at the limp and almost picked the little one up again, when Celebrian put a hand on his arm. "She will be all right Elrond. Let her work it out. If she is still having problems this evening, then do something about it."

Elrond put his arm around his wife. "The _edain_ live such short lives my love. They get sick as we have seen and their injuries take longer to heal. I always worry."

"And that my dear Elrond, is one of the reasons I love you." Standing on tiptoe to kiss her tall husband the two elves followed the children to the next garden where they could already hear the children squealing about snails.


	8. Chapter Eight

Racell and Dinna were excited and nervous to have a tutor. They weren't quite sure what a tutor was and went nervously to the small study, holding hands tightly.

Celebrian introduced the two girls to Manarenil and then with a smile, left them.

Dinna hid her face and was afraid to sit down until Racell had done so. The two of them stared at the beautiful elf and smiled shyly.

Manarenil stood up, utilizing his staff and went to stand between the two girls. "I have never tutored _edain _children before. So I shall rely on you to tell me how to go on here."

"Um, we have never had a tu-tutor before Sir Manarenil so we are not sure what to do either. You can tell us and we will try it."

Manarenil saw how uncertain they were. Sighing, he went back to his seat and began to pour ink into small dishes for their use.

Dinna leaned over and whispered to her sister, not knowing how fine elvish hearing was. "He has a bad leg Racell. Poor elf."

Racell, being a little more observant said, "He seems to be missing part of his leg." Dinna blanched at this and dropped her eyes to the table.

Manarenil paused, about to say something, but looking at their pale faces, he could see how frightened they were.

"We shall begin your letters." He dipped a pen into a dish of ink and began to carefully write out the Tengwar alphabet. As he did so, both girls craned their heads up, trying to see what he was doing. Racell finally got up and said, "If you do not mind sir, we would like to watch."

"Oh, yes of course. Come along then."

Both girls crowded around him avidly watching his elegant sure strokes.

An hour later, Elrond stuck his head in the small study to see how they were getting along. 

Manarenil was leaning between the two girls helping Racell to hold her quill correctly while Dinna was practicing the capital letter "A."

About to quietly leave, Dinna looked up and saw the elf lord, a big smile creasing her face. "Look Ada Elrond look! I wrote this letter!"

He examined the crooked, blotched effort with a smile. "Very good Dinna."

Manarenil stood and turned, bowing slightly. "My lord. They are coming along quite well for their first lesson."

"Excellent Manarenil. After the mid day meal, perhaps you can take them to the large kitchen garden and name some plants for them?"

"Of course, and I can name other things as we go along."

"Yes." Handing back the parchment to Dinna, he softly placed a hand on Racell's shoulder in parting.

Manarenil said, "Let us try a "B."

After the mid day meal, which the girls ate quickly so they could get back to lessons, Manarenil took Racell and Dinna for a walk to tell them things in Sindarin which they dutifully echoed back.

Racell was thrilled to learn a new language and to practice her letters. Mum and Daddy had shown she and Dinna how to write their names in Westron, but they hadn't gotten much further than that, as farm work came first.

And she quite enjoyed learning the name of things.

"_loth_" Dinna and she said as Manarenil pointed to a small flower in the grass.

"What is the word for staff?"

"_tarawen tulu_." The girls pronounced it carefully and Dinna said, as she ran a hand softly along it, "It is very pretty."

"Thank you, I made it."

"You made it!" Dinna rubbed a hand along it again. Both girls were impressed.

"I would like to be able to do something as nice as this someday." Racell said. "It is so beautiful and useful."

"Thank you Racell." Manarenil smiled and stopped. "What do we call that tree?"

"_lalorn_." The girls chorused.

Once they reached the large kitchen garden, the tall elf sat down and the two girls pointed out various plants and carefully recited the words back.

Once they were done and Manarenil went off to go riding, the two girls ran into the House wanting to tell Elrond and Celebrian all they had learned.

"Where would Ada Elrond be now?" Dinna said looking around.

"I do not know." Racell said biting her lip.

"Maybe he is playing in his garden?"

"Oh, I would think he is too old to play."

"Let's go find the twins then," said Dinna and she took Racell's hand and led her along the hallways. The met many elves of course, but no sign of Elrond or his family.

Outside the House, the girls went along a path that took them through more beautiful gardens and orchards. The recent rains had made the flowers bloom in profusion. The air was filled with fragrance.

They picked handfuls of flowers to ask Elrond or Celebrian their names.

As they turned a corner, the path opened into a lovely glade where a large fountain threw water high into the air.

The twins were sailing leaf boats in the dancing water.

Both girls silently joined the elflings, eyeing the boats and the boys' concentration. Putting down their flowers, both girls sought out similar leaves and twigs and soon had boats like Elladan and Elrohir.

Of course they had to have races.

Elladan and Elrohir were expert sailors and Racell and Dinna merely novices. But the foursome enjoyed themselves. Racell worked hard to keep the boys out of mischief but they too had been at lessons and had lots of energy.

Tired of the boats, the twins immediately shimmied up a large elm nearby. Racell and Dinna looked at the boys in envy. Their farm had had an apple tree and a few scrub pines, so neither had done lots of tree climbing.

And this was a high-branching tree and the girls could not climb it though they tried.

"We will be squirrels." Dinna said in careful Sindarin.

The twins nodded and began to throw sticks down pretending they were arrows and the girls realized right away what they were. Dinna grabbed a stick and put it under her arm howling and falling to the soft grass dramatically. The twins laughed and then Racell grabbed two sticks and put them under both arms and howled too.

She giggled as she lay near her sister. "We are pretty loud for squirrels." Dinna laughed too.

The twins continued to shower leaves and twigs on the girls.

But soon they got bored being dead and got up. Waving to the elflings, who were now busily throwing twigs at each other, Dinna and Racell brushed themselves off leaving their flowers behind.

"Come on Dinna, we need to explore. Maybe _we_ can find a tree that we can climb."

Dinna nodded and the two girls went deeper into the ravines and grottos of Rivendell. They passed beautiful waterfalls and chased butterflies. Fern gardens beckoned with deep soft greenery and moss surrounding a lone bench for contemplation.

Both girls were duly impressed. Finding a soft moss covered dell by the side of a waterfall, they curled up on the soft ground cover and went to sleep.

When they awoke, it was deep twilight and very chilly. The path they had followed was barely visible, but seemed to glow slightly.

"Racell we have to go home!"

Racell looked at her sister a moment. "It is home, isn't it?"

"Of course silly, come on."

Racell got up slowly thinking about it. Rivendell was their home now.

The girls went fearfully back the way they had come, following the slightly shining path. But of course, the path branched off in different directions and Racell got thoroughly confused.

"Racell," Dinna whispered hugging her sister close, "I think we are lost."

Racell soothed her sister automatically but she was frightened too. "It's all right Dinna. It just looks different in the dark."

Dinna nodded and clutched Racell tighter. The path beneath their feet still glowed softly, remaining visible even under the darkest shadow.

Once the path began to climb upwards, Racell knew they were truly lost. And hungry and very cold.

Dinna got tired as they retraced their steps. The wind picked up and branches clattering together and leaves flying in their faces scared them. When an owl hooted nearby both girls jumped and Dinna screamed. She dropped to the path and refused to move, burying her face in her dress.

Racell sat next to her and put her arms around her. It was so cold and both girls shivered. "Come on pumpkin, we have to keep going. Rivendell has to be at the end of one of these paths."

Dinna, still a bit weak from her illness, got up with a groan. Racell picked her up and trudged on.

A half an hour later, Racell saw a twinkle of lights and she began to run. "Here we are!! Here we are!!"

In moments, Elrond, carrying a lantern, came up the path with Celebrian. He set his lantern down on a nearby boulder and Celebrian took Dinna from Racell, pulling up a corner of her cloak to wrap around the five-year-old. Dinna sighed and popped a thumb in her mouth.

Racell stood with bowed head. "I am sorry we got lost. We just wanted to explore." Her voiced hitched. She had been so frightened, but she couldn't tell Dinna that. She looked up quickly at the lord and lady who were both glowing softly, the lamp a bright shimmer on the boulder.

"I am glad you are all right Racell. We were worried when you did not come back to the House and the boys told us you went off towards the high gardens."

Celebrian saw her drooping and put a slender finger under her chin. "We are not angry child. We were just concerned at your absence. Next time you want to explore, ask one of us, and either we will come with you or send someone who can."

"All right Nana Celebrian." Racell made to move past them, but Elrond, chuckling, picked her up. "I can see you have had enough walking for today little sparrow."

She was so tired she didn't complain but curled her head into the soft folds of Elrond's cloak and soon fell asleep.

The two relieved elves sung a quiet duet as they strolled home.

Elladan and Elrohir were in their room just finishing up fruit and cream for desert when their parents came in smiling.

"Ada!" Elladan jumped up from the table as Glorfindel and Elrohir looked up. "Did you find them?"

"Are they okay?" Elrohir jumped up too and ran to his mother. "Do we need to get the Guard?"

"No, no," laughed Celebrian smiling over his head at a concerned Glorfindel. "The girls are in their room. They are tired, but fine."

The twins looked at Glorfindel who looked at their plates and nodded. With a squeal, the boys tore down the hall.

"Thank you Glor for watching them."

"Of course." The blond elf lord stood. "Are the little ones really all right?"

"Yes. They wandered on the upper paths, took a nap and then they got lost trying to reach the House." Elrond replied. "They are eating with good appetite at the moment."

"Excellent. If you have no further need of me, I shall make my way to the Hall of Fire."

"As you will." Elrond and Celebrian inclined their heads as he slipped past them.

In the now empty room, the two adults wrapped their arms around each other and Celebrian said. "I am glad the girls are all right."

"And so am I. However, once we get all our little ones settled, I would like to spend some time with you." He bent and kissed her slowly.

Silence reigned. And only the fire spoke in the room.


	9. Chapter Nine

Racell and Dinna enjoyed their lessons. They both liked learning things and practicing their letters. 

But their tutor Manarenil proved moody. One day sunny and cheerful the next day morose and distant.

One morning it all came to a head. Dinna had decided to bring Manarenil some flowers and Racell had brought him some fruit, for he frequently missed the mid day meal because he would retreat to his room to read.

Dinna placed her floral offering on the seat of the chair, giggling as Racell set the cut up peaches nearby. The two girls then sat at the end of the table and began their writing.

Racell frowned at the sunlight's movement across the floor. Manarenil was quite a bit late today. Dinna, all unaware, continued concentrating on her letters.

Shrugging, Racell went back to her work.

Finally they heard the door open as Manarenil, his arms full of books and papers said hurriedly. "Sorry to be late ladies, but I was with Lord Elrond in the library going over books for you to start reading." Without a thought Manarenil sat down on Dinna's flowers completely unaware. He was still talking about their books when he set his pile on the plate of fruit Racell had brought him.

Unbalanced, the books and the dish went to the floor with a crash.

Dinna, her eyes bright, joined a subdued Racell to help the elf. But he wanted none of it. "Go sit down girls. I shall take care of this mess! And which one of you left your breakfast here?"

"I brought that for you Manarenil sir. You don't eat very much."

Dinna upset, as the elf mindlessly swept flowers to the floor, watched her sister's face go still and sad. With a sob, Dinna ran out of the room and in moments, Racell followed.

"Girls, I am sorry! As soon as I clean up this mess..." But they paid him no mind and ran out of the House.

Swiftly going through the gardens, they made their way to the river and then ran along its banks to the quiet niche the twins had found.

They had to wade around a large boulder but once on the other side, there was a lovely little embayment surrounded by aspens shading a bit of grass and sand.

Both girls flung themselves on the grass.

Dinna's muffled voice finally broke the silence. "He didn't have to be so mean."

"No, he didn't." agreed Racell.

She put her head on her knees, trying to think through the elf's actions. Perhaps he did not want to teach them at all. Maybe he did not like non-elvish children. Racell shivered. No other humans lived in Rivendell.

Dinna crawled into her lap, her thumb in her mouth. She twirled an end of Racell's sandy blonde hair around her fingers.

Racell put her head on her sister's. She hadn't felt this lonely since they had gotten here.

A few minutes silence and then Dinna said tiredly, "We are not lost so Ada Elrond will not be mad too."

"No, you are right. And we have all day before us. Why don't we hunt polliwogs?"

"We have no buckets."

"We can make a little pool for them from rocks and then we can come back later with buckets. The twins will like them."

"Maybe," Dinna looked at her sister hopefully, "Manarenil would like some? They are so cute. Maybe he needs a pet."  


"Good idea Dinna."

The girls worked together to build a pool to hold polliwogs.

Faintly as they hunted the amphibians, they heard the mid day bell ring. Making sure their captives were secure in their pool, the girls scrambled through the rocks and water and ran down the path to the main House.

They joined the elves in the main dining hall and saw that Elrond and his family were not seated at the high table.

Both girls took their bowls of soup and sat at the end of a near empty table feeling a bit lost.

"Maybe they don't like us anymore?"

"Maybe they really were angry about us getting lost."

"Maybe they really will send us home."

Both girls went still at that. Because they were hungry, they ate. But tears dripped into their soup bowls.

Racell gathered their dishes and slowly walked to the baskets where they were collected for washing.

As they waited for a clear approach to the baskets, Manarenil came and joined them. Without a word, Racell took his dishes and added them to theirs, putting them all in the closest basket.

About to turn away, Manarenil put a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay Racell. I-I am sorry..."

She looked up at him, her eyes still shining with tears. Wordlessly he guided her out of the press of elves and said quietly, "I did not mean to hurt your feelings. Do not cry."

"It's not just you Manarenil sir. We do not know where Ada Elrond is. We are afraid we have been bad and he does not wish to see us. Everyone is mad at us today."

"The twins are gone too," Dinna said, burying her face in her sister's gown.

Manarenil smiled at the girls. "Lord Elrond had some border business to attend to and Lady Celebrian and the twins are just up at the archery 

fields."

"Oh." Racell bit her lip and dropped her eyes to the floor. Dinna looked up at Manarenil, eyes sparkling. "Can you come and see the polliwogs we caught for you? They are out on the river in their own little pool."

"Which we made ourselves."

Manarenil, about to go to his private study, nodded slowly. "All right and I can teach you the names of things you find by the river."

Both girls grinned at him and Dinna, about to run off, grabbed the tall elf by the hand and hurried him along.

Once outside, they slowed some as Manarenil drilled them in the names of plants and trees, the sky, the wind.

As they went along the River Bruinen, the girls learned new words for river and rocks, boulders, swallows and minnows.

Racell went out in the water and beckoned the elf. "I shall help you. It is just around this boulder."

"All right." Manarenil leaned on Racell and she helped support him while Dinna rushed ahead.

"See, isn't this a nice spot?" Dinna twirled around. "The twins found it."

"It is lovely," Manarenil said as he slowly and carefully maneuvered his way out of the rocks.

Dinna pulled him over slowly to their polliwog pond, but there were none there to see.

Racell and Dinna frowned at the empty pool.

"But we put a dozen in there Manarenil." Racell said confused. "I do not know how they got out."

"Perhaps there is a little hole in between the rocks where they wriggled free."

Both girls then bent down to inspect their pond carefully, and while Manarenil sat in the shade, they got to work making sure there were no escape routes.

Satisfied, they then enjoyed themselves catching more. Both got soaked and a bit sandy as they happily floundered around laughing as they chased the amphibians.

Manarenil, relaxed, watched them in amusement.

Finally the girls decided they had enough polliwogs and so they watched them for awhile in their new home.

"They cannot get out now!" crowed Dinna happily and her sister nodded.

The two then turned to the damp sand beneath their feet and started shaping it into buildings and towers.

But soon the warmth and soft winds tired them out and they curled up on the grass next to the elder elf and fell asleep.

Manarenil surprised at their cuddling close to him without question, rested against a nearby boulder and slowly, unsure of himself, he pulled the youngest to him, laying her head in his lap. Racell automatically followed her small form and snuggled against Dinna. Manarenil tentatively touched Dinna's hair, his smile softened with unexpected affection.

An hour or so later, Racell felt a soft touch on her shoulder. "Shh, quiet Racell. I have found out how the polliwogs are escaping."

The older girl opened her eyes slowly and looked where Manarenil pointed. There above their polliwog pool was a pair of blackbirds perched on nearby rocks. They took turns dipping into the water and snatching polliwogs, winging their way to their hungry nestlings sequestered in a nearby bed of reeds.

"The blackbirds are grateful for what they see as an easy meal for the young ones Racell. That is how they got out."

Racell stifled a giggle. "They got out as lunch!"

Soon Dinna woke and her attention was directed to the busy birds. She finally got up laughing and shooed them away. "You have had enough polliwogs!" She carefully broke down the walls and slapped the water to send the few polliwogs on their way.

Soon the pool was empty and the girls, still a bit damp and sandy, their hair all awry helped Manarenil as they went back to the House.

They discussed bringing buckets next time and were just about to wash their faces in the fountain near the steps, when a large contingent of elves clattered into the courtyard, a grim faced Elrond at their head.

Manarenil, assessing the situation quickly said, "Go on girls, go clean up. I will meet you in the study."

Nodding, Racell and Dinna went slowly into the House with many backward looks at the elves assembled.

Something was not right, but Racell knew now was not the time to ask questions.


	10. Chapter Ten

Manarenil and the two girls, back in the study, went over what they learned by the river.

As Manarenil wrote some more words for them to copy, Racell looked at her sister and bit her lip. "What do you think has happened Racell?" Dinna whispered worriedly.

Racell looked at the elf concentrating on his parchment. "I do not know. I cannot even guess."

"I wish the twins were here. We could play." Wistfully, Dinna looked down at her letters.

"Well maybe we can play with them later."

"I hope so."

Both of them were writing the words for "minnow" and "rocks" and using them in a sentence, when Lord Elrond entered the study.

Both girls looked up anxiously and Elrond smiled and said quietly, "Racell, will you come with me?"

The twelve-year old smiled back up at the elf lord expectantly, but her smile faltered some when she saw his grave expression.

Dinna looked at her sister and then at the elf lord and was about to join them, when she saw Elrond shake his head.

Manarenil quickly caught the elf lord's mood and said, "Dinna, do you suppose you could draw me a picture of the big toad we saw today? I would like it for my room."

Dinna grinned happily, delighted her tutor wanted something of hers. "Yes! Racell come back soon so I can show you!"

"I will." Gently Elrond turned her towards the door and led her out.

The minute the study door closed behind them Racell said in a terrified rush, "Oh what is the matter Ada Elrond?"

He looked at her steadily as they walked along and Racell's spirit dropped further as she saw his face and she stopped, stricken.

"Something bad has happened hasn't it?" She bit her lip and clasped her hands tightly before her. "Did _we_ do something bad?"

"No, no Racell. Neither you nor your sister have done anything wrong."

"Then what Sir Elrond?"

He took Racell by the hand silently and they continued on to the elf lord's main study. They then went to the recovery room, just beyond the study proper.

Racell entered the room, which was filled with a refreshing heart-lifting scent. There in the bed before her lay her uncle Nagron, eyes closed, his thin face wrapped in bandages. An elf, sitting on the far side of the human, smiled at the two of them, bowed slightly and left.

The young girl slowly came to her uncle's side and lifted his hand from the coverlet. It was dry and hot.

Racell sank down and leaned her head on the edge of the bed, her eyes filling with tears. She did not need the nearby elven healer to tell her that her uncle was dying.

She felt a warm hand clasp her shoulder and she said in a hoarse whisper, "Is there nothing you can do?" She turned to face Elrond and hastily wiped her tears. "You saved me, can't you save him too?"

"I have done all I can Racell. His spirit's tie to his body is thin as old spider silk. I am sorry there is little more I can do, save make him comfortable. He was out in the Wild too long injured and poisoned Racell."

Racell looked at the elf whose eyes were filled with warmth and compassion. She realized he spoke truthfully. Her head fell back down on the bed, a sob pulling loose from her. Now it was Uncle Nagron who was going to leave she and Dinna. And then they would be truly alone.

She held the Ranger's hand tightly. She had had such hopes that Uncle Nagron would be found with just a few scratches, and really no worse for wear.

But here he was and even Ada Elrond could do nothing further. Her tears wet the back of his hand.

Suddenly she felt her pressure returned and she lifted her head to stare at the Ranger.

His grey blue eyes opened and focused a moment on the elf lord in confusion and then his glance slid to his little niece. He smiled slowly. "Racell." His voice was dry as sand in a drought.

"Oh Uncle Nagron." She moved closer and kissed him and his dry lips pressed against her cheek in return.

He ran a hand weakly through her hair, his eyes suspiciously moist. Racell just lay her head on his shoulder.

"My lord, thank you for this gift."

Elrond came up to him and Racell lifted her head and saw that the healer wanted to give the injured man something to drink.

She watched Nagron drink thirstily from the goblet, and as Elrond lay his head back, the Ranger sighed tiredly. "I am so glad my nieces made it here safely."

"They are fine Nagron. They are in the midst of lessons at the moment in Sindarin and Tengwar. Their tutor will also teach them Westron."

Nagron smiled and turned his head toward Racell who was chewing on a finger. "You be a good girl for Lord Elrond and make sure Dinna minds too."

"Yes, Uncle Nagron, we'll be good." Looking at the elf lord anxiously she asked, "Can Dinna see Uncle Nagron? Please?"

"All right Racell. I did not want to tire Nagron out. He is very weak."

"But it will make me feel all that much better my lord if I see the little one."

Elrond smiled and indicated to Racell she could go fetch Dinna.

The healer came closer to the Ranger, saying quietly, "I am sorry 

Nagron to expose you to all this now."

"No, I am glad to see the girls. I worried constantly that the orcs had gotten to them."

Elrond nodded, deciding not to say anything of the girls' conditions when they arrived in Rivendell.

While they waited, the elf lord gently got Nagron more comfortable, propping him up with pillows and then gave him more medicine and water.

The Ranger looked at the ancient one before him and sighed, "How long do I have my lord?"

"Your body is worn out Nagron. I have done what I can to sustain it. It is now all in the hands of Eru."

The man nodded tiredly, then looked up, a bit of fire in his eyes. "Did you tell Racell of her heritage? Why she is here?"

"I did, though she is a bit young to grasp the ramifications. Rest assured, I shall do all I can for her to prepare her for any eventuality."

"My thanks again Lord Elrond. It is a load off my mind."

"Manarenil, Lord Elrond sent for me to fetch Dinna."

"All Right Racell. Dinna, perhaps you can finish your drawing for me later."

Dinna smiled and both girls bobbed quick, polite curtseys (something learned from Celebrian) and left the study.

The minute the door closed, Dinna said in a rush, "What's happened Racell? Is Ada Elrond angry? Do we have to leave? Can we say good bye to Nana Celebrian and the twins? Can I take my dolly?"

Racell brushed at her eyes quickly as she towed Dinna down the hall, walking fast. "No, we have not done anything wrong. Uncle Nagron is back."

Dinna, about to squeal in delight, saw her sister's unhappy expression and immediately quieted. "Is he all right?'

Racell, her breath hitching said, "For now."

Just then, they reached the study door and opened it slowly. Dinna ran to the recovery room and peeked around the edge. Seeing her uncle sitting up, she flew to his side. She flung her arms around him and began crying in deep racking sobs. The Ranger patted her slowly and gently, his eyes closed in happiness.

It warmed his heart to hold his brother's youngest. He felt a great feeling of peace steal over him as he held the sobbing child.

No matter what happened to him, he knew these two would survive and be loved by the kind elf at his side.


	11. Chapter 11

Dinna held her uncle for a few minutes and then looked up at him. "You are so hot Uncle Nagron. You must have a fever." She looked at his bedside table. "Are you not taking your medicine? You know you must, even if it tastes bad. We did!"  
  
"You did?" He smiled wanly.  
  
"Me and Racell had a fever together and Ada Elrond fixed us right up. He's fixing you right up too."  
  
"Yes poppet, he is." Nagron closed his eyes tiredly.  
  
Elrond, concerned for his patient's failing energy, lifted off the five-year-old, holding her comfortably in his arms. "We shall let your Uncle Nagron rest all right?"  
  
Dinna nodded, her eyes fixed worriedly on her uncle's pale bandaged face.  
  
Elrond turned to Racell and carefully put Dinna down. "You girls say your farewells for now. And if he is feeling better, perhaps you can see him at dinner time."  
  
Both girls nodded and with small waves, left the room.  
  
Elrond once again turned his attention to his patient. "Are you all right Nagron?" Elrond lay a hand on his forehead sending healing energy into him.  
  
A few minutes passed and the elf lord raised his hand and smiled down at the Ranger.  
  
"Thank you my lord. I feel a bit better now." He plucked at the quilt fretfully. "The girls, they will be no burden to you as they grow?"  
  
"No, of course not. They are dear ones already Nagron and they have twined themselves around our hearts."  
  
Elrond sat carefully on the edge of the bed, his eyes on the man, dark and compassionate. "Nagron do not fear for them. They are under my care and my love. I, and Celebrian will watch them and love them and help them to grow. As will the twins."  
  
Nagron stared back at the elf lord unblinking for a moment. He yawned and Elrond smiled and then, leaning over, lay a hand over the sick Ranger's eyes, easing him into deep sleep.  
  
Standing slowly, he sighed as he looked at the now sleeping man. His days were few. Elrond sent a silent prayer to those who watched over the edain to give him peace and comfort until he left.  
  
Once out in the hall, he went to his study to find the elf who would watch Nagron's sleep this night. A young apprentice healer Tifinial awaited him. He was sipping tea and reading a book.  
  
"Shall I go my lord?"  
  
"Yes please. If necessary the medicine he needs is on his table. Do not hesitate to get me if there is any change in his condition."  
  
"Of course." The young elf straightened his pale green apprentice's robe and with a slight bow, left the elf lord.  
  
Elrond sat at his desk heavily and opened his journal. In minutes he was ensconced in his writing.  
  
Dinna and Racell had gone back to join Manarenil. They both sat at the table and stared at the surface silently.  
  
Manarenil could see they had been stunned by the news Lord Elrond had brought them and realized that further study would be pointless.  
  
Rising, his expression went soft looking at the two bowed heads. "Come girls, tell me what troubles you."  
  
Racell looked up, her eyes full of tears. Dinna's cheeks were wet too.  
  
Taken aback by their sorrow, he opened his arms and the girls, only hesitating a moment, got up and ran to him.  
Both of them flung their arms about him, turning their faces into the warmth of his soft tunic.  
  
He tightened his grip around them and began to hum a song under his breath.  
  
The girls sighed and he could feel them relaxing. If only he had both legs! It would then be no trouble for him to pick them both up and walk with them.  
  
Sighing, he said softly to them, "What is the matter little sparrows?"  
  
Racell wiped her face. "Tha-That is what Ada Elrond calls me, little sparrow." Dinna nodded. "Me too."  
  
"Is it all right if I call you that too?"  
  
"Yes Manarenil."  
  
"Yes please." Dinna added.  
  
Racell sat up straighter. "Ada Elrond and the other elves found Uncle Nagron."  
  
"That's wonderful Racell."  
  
"He's dying." She whispered.  
  
Dinna burst into tears and the elf held her close.  
  
Clambering carefully off the elf, Racell stood by the table, staring at the beautiful handwriting samples Manarenil had been working on while they had been with their uncle.  
  
Dinna, watching her sister said quietly, "Ada Elrond can't save him. Even with all his medicines."  
  
"Sometimes little ones, nothing more can be done and so the light of Iluvatar flees the body."  
  
"Who is Illuvatar?" asked Dinna.  
  
"He sang all of this," he waved his hands to encompass the room and all beyond, "into being."  
  
"Did he sing us into being?" Racell asked shyly.  
  
"Yes. All things."  
  
Dinna smiled at her sister. "We are songs Racell."  
  
"Uncle Nagron is too."  
  
"But his song is stopping," Dinna said frowning.  
  
"But you and I will remember, won't we? Just like we remember Mum and Daddy."  
  
Dinna nodded and sighed as she slipped off Manarenil's lap to join her sister.  
  
Racell looked up at the concerned elf and said, "May we be excused Manarenil?"  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
Racell nodded and both girls bobbed a curtsey and then left.  
  
Racell, holding Dinna's hand, wandered down the hall until they reached outside stairs which swept down to a large lawn. Beyond the lawn were several smaller gardens. Racell picked one with many peonies and freesia and all manner of lovely scented flowers.  
  
She took them deep into the garden and sat on a bench near a small bubbling fountain.  
  
Finally, after watching the moving water for sometime, Racell said thoughtfully, "We are going to be all alone Dinna. Uncle Nagron is dying."  
  
Dinna leaned against her sister. "But we have Ada Elrond and Nana Celebrian and the twins---"  
  
"---who are elves Dinna. We are the only humans here. We cannot run as fast or climb as easily or walk as softly." Her head drooped.  
  
"We don't have pointed ears." Dinna added with a whisper.  
  
Racell hugged her sister closer. "And we don't live forever."  
  
The two girls sat wrapped in their unhappy thoughts until the twins discovered them.  
  
"Come Racell, come Dinna. We are going to look for the baby chicks hiding in the barn. Cerwal says we may move them back to the hen house where they belong."  
  
Racell looked at Dinna and when she nodded, he two girls followed the swiftly running twins to the horse barn.  
  
They spent an enjoyable hour or two chasing the mother hen and her brood of six chicks around the horse barn under the watchful eyes of the stable hands.  
  
Finally, all had been run to ground and the baby chicks put in a basket for the short trip to the chicken coop.  
  
Racell as the biggest, held the mother hen tightly and correctly, not dropping her even when she pecked at her arm angrily.  
  
The four watched the hen and chicks get settled in the coop.  
  
"That was fun! Maybe there are more?" asked Dinna.  
  
"No, just one moma," said Elladan. Elrohir nodded." We know because we explored the barn really good."  
  
Racell looked at him. "We could show you how to make a polliwog pond."  
  
Elrohir grinned. "Oh yes! I love polliwogs. Let us go get our buckets."  
  
"You won't need them. Come on, we'll show you."  
  
Soon the four were happily chasing the wriggling amphibians and spent the rest of the afternoon caching polliwogs and building sand houses.  
  
As the sun slid down to the edge of the western wall of the gorge, Racell stood up and brushed her skirt off. "Come, we must go back to the house. Nana Celebrian said we always needed to be home by the time the sun touches the edge over there."  
  
"But I want to take the polliwogs home," Elrohir pouted, chewing on a braid, as the others released the small creatures.  
  
"There's plenty here Elrohir. We can come back tomorrow," Said Elladan removing rocks from their pond.  
  
"But I want them now!"  
  
"There is no way to being them back," Elladan pointed out, kicking aside the last of the remaining rocks, allowing the polliwogs to swim free.  
  
Angry, Elrohir pushed Elladan in the water. Up like a shot, Elladan id the same to him.  
  
Soon they were dunking each other and pulling on each others braids, rolling in the river sand.  
  
Racell jumped in and pulled them apart, grabbing a squirming Elladan. "That's enough! Come let us go home."  
  
Dinna remained silent and quietly took Elrohir's hand. Sullenly he walked with her, finally tugging his hand free.  
  
"You don't need to hold my hand. You are not my mother."  
  
Racell glanced down at the unhappy elf at her side. And with a small sigh, let his hand go.  
  
"Shut -up Elrohir. We are in trouble now" Elladan.  
  
The foursome went back to the House slowly. Racell and Dina, who had enjoyed their afternoon with the twins, felt their spirits plummet as they got closer to the House.  
  
By the time they reached the steps all of them were drooping with thoughts of impending doom. 


	12. Chapter 12

As they slowly went through the halls to their rooms, Celebrian came around the corner and paused, hands on hips. "Well, it looks as if all of you have been in the water. Girls? Elladan, Elrohir?"

"Yes Nana Celebrian."

"Yes Nana."

All the children hung their heads. 

With a big sigh, Celebrian took both elflings by the hands and then looked at Racell. "I trust you and your sister can clean yourselves up?"

"Yes, Nana Celebrian." Racell whispered and took Dinna by her hand and walked quickly to their room. But instead of heading straight for the bathing room, Racell sat heavily on her bed, pulling her sister to her side.

"What Racell? What is the matter?" Dinna hugged her hard.

"I-I want to go home. I just do." Racell's lower lip quivered and tears began to streak her cheeks. "Uncle Nagron MUST get better. He must! So he can take us both home to our farm. Nothing is working out right!" Racell turned and threw herself behind her sister full length on the quilt behind them.

Dinna lay slowly atop her sister and put her thumb in her mouth. She didn't want to go home as much as Racell, but she did miss Mum and Daddy. And if Uncle Nagron wasn't around, well then what would she and Racell do?

Whimpering, she curled up around her sister.

Racell lay there for a half an hour and then slowly rose, her head hurt from crying. She dragged herself and a sleepy Dinna into the bathing room and the two slowly washed up.

Dressing, the two finished and sat on their bed again. Were they to be punished? Racell knew she and Dinna and the twins had come back to the House filthy with river weed, mud and sand. The twins had even gotten it in their hair.

Perhaps it was best if they stayed in their room. Dinna grabbed her new dolly and went to the window seat. Racell joined her and the two girls just sat there holding their dolls and looking out the window as evening glowed in the Vale of Imladris.

A quiet knock stirred Racell out of her lowering thoughts and she said quietly "Come in."

Celebrian looked around the edge of the door and then slipped into the room. "Girls, come are you not hungry? Did you not hear the dinner bell?"

Racell looked at her sister who hugged her doll and ducked her head. The older girl stood up and said taking a deep breath. "We know we did not do right today. I should have stopped the twins and I should not have let Dinna get all dirty too." She dropped her head. "I figured we were not going to get supper tonight."

Celebrian frowned in confusion. "No supper? Why of course you get supper. Unless you are not hungry?"

Racell looked up at the beautiful she elf, who seemed to glow softly in the twilight room. "But, but we were bad girls..."

Celebrian came up to them both, opening her arms. With only a moment's hesitation the two ran to her and buried their faces in her soft gown. "No, no little ones. Neither my husband, nor I are angry with you. You all just got carried away down at the river. No one was hurt and even your clothes can be cleaned. Everything is all right. Come and eat."

Racell and Dinna both looked up at the gently smiling she-elf and nodded. Wiping their eyes they let the Lady of Imladris take them each by the hand and lead them to the dining hall where they sat with the twins.

"There you are Racell and Dinna," said Elladan, brushing bread crumbs off his face.

Elrohir said, as he broke his dinner roll into little pieces. "We thought you would never get here. We are so hungry."

"Chasing polliwogs makes me want to eat ALL my supper," added Elladan.

The girls laughed and shyly took the bread that Celebrian offered them. Elrond indicated to the server near them that dinner could be served and soon the whole hall was awash in the sounds of low conversations and the sound of cutlery clinking against pottery.

Racell smiled down at her plate of tender venison in a raspberry sauce and licked her lips. She was starving.

As dessert was served, Celebrian looked at Racell and said "Tomorrow, would you like to help me in the garden Racell? After you are done with lessons?"

Racell looked up, licking sweetened cream off her lips. "I would like that."

Dinna looked at the she-elf. "Can I come too?"

"Dinna, you and the twins will be given riding lessons tomorrow. Racell is old enough and already knows the basics of handling a horse." She smiled at the older girl. "You'll have more advanced lessons later in the week."

Both girls grinned. Riding lessons! They finished their desserts and after the assembled sang a song of thanksgiving, they left the dining hall with the elf lord's family.

They walked slowly to the Hall of Fire and when the girls entered they looked about with shining eyes. Already beautiful music filled the air and the room itself glowed with warm firelight and scented candles.

They had never been in the Hall of Fire before and wide-eyed let themselves be led to a low dais where two extra cushions had been set on the floor. As the Lord and Lady sat, the conversations slowed and one she-elf came forward, A small bow and she began a beautiful lament in Quenya. The girls sat close to the twins and listened opened-mouth at the beautiful singer. They did not understand Quenya, but the sadness moved them anyway.

The girls spent an enjoyable evening with their elvish family, even joining the twins in a spirited dance that included most of the elves in the Hall.

But once the harpist played his soft lilting melodies, all the children were half-asleep at the feet of the Lord and Lady.

Glorfindel and Erestor seeing the drowsy children rose from their places near the fire and gathered up the small ones between them. They carried the four out of the Hall and to their respective beds, where they were tucked in.

Late that night, Racell woke up. She looked about her room, now softly lit by the light of the half moon, or _Ithil_ as the elves named it. Dinna lay next to her curled up with her dolly Almana. A slight breeze outside the window made the trees toss gracefully, but none of the branches touched the glass.

What had disturbed her sleep?

She heard low conversation outside her door and getting up quietly, she went and peeked out. Lord Elrond and another elf were walking towards his study.

And his surgery.

Glancing back at her sleeping sister, Racell tiptoed behind the two adults.

She waited a minute after they went into the study. Taking a deep breath, she went in as quiet as a mouse.

"...you did the right thing Tifinial. I expected this." The two elves came out of Elrond's still room and went to where Nagron lay.

Racell felt her heart drop. Could Uncle Nagron be dying?

Biting her lip the youngster went to the room, now glowing softly with candlelight. The two elves bent over Nagron. One carefully holding him up by the shoulders, the other tipping a goblet of some medicine no doubt to the Ranger's mouth.

Racell watched frowning. Oh Uncle Nagron. By candlelight his face looked pasty and pale, his eyes sunken in. Racell brought a hand to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.

Once the elves had settled the man back, Racell threw caution to the wind and ran to his bedside. She put her arms around him. Her ear against his chest could barely detect a heartbeat.

The two adults watched her, their eyes soft and dark with compassion. Finally Racell sat up, still holding her uncle's hand and looking at Elrond she said quietly, "He's dying isn't he?"

Elrond simply nodded. "He is in no pain Racell. His spirit is at ease."

Racell turned to the comatose human and held his hand tightly. She felt a slight pressure in return, but there was no other response.

She sat there until dawn, fighting sleep. Finally a deep rattling breath startled her out of her doze and she looked at her uncle's face. The rising light softened his features, and for a moment it looked as if he smiled. Racell felt his spirit leave as he hand went slack. Swallowing, she lay his hand down gently, just staring into his well-loved face.

"Good-bye Uncle Nagron. We will remember your song," she said softly a hitch in her voice as she swallowed dryly.

Elrond, who had been sitting on the other side of the bed, rose from his seat and stretching slightly, he bent over the man and lay a hand on his ribs for a long moment, and then lay his head on his chest.

As the healer straightened, Tifinial, who had also kept vigil nearby, looked up at him. "Shall I see to the body my lord?"

"If you will. We will bury him at the edge of the high meadow, beneath the old oak there."

Tifinial bowed and Elrond led a tired Racell away. 

As they walked slowly down the corridor slowly filling with morning light and the forms of other elves, Racell thought tiredly how empty she felt. She should be crying but all she could feel was exhaustion. Which was exactly how she had felt when her parents had died. It had taken days before the tears came in a flood.

Rubbing her eyes, she swayed a bit when they stopped by her bedroom door. She should be crying she thought again as she yawned. But before she knew it, she was back in bed next to the still sleeping Dinna. She looked up at the elf lord at her side. He was smiling slightly, his eyes filled with warmth.

"Sleep now Racell." She nodded and yawned again.

The last thing she felt was the soft palm of the elf lord across her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

Racell woke about an hour later, the rising sun shining into their room. Shivering she remembered her uncle's death and buried her face in her sister's hair.

They were truly all alone now. There was no one else. She clutched Dinna's warm body to hers as Dinna clutched her dolly. Racell yawned and slowly lulled by her sister's even breathing, fell back asleep.

When she woke once more, the now late morning sun was shining on the table in the window nook where the twins were busily building with wooden blocks.

Racell sat up and in a minute so did Dinna who took a moment to rub her eyes. Seeing the twins she hopped out of bed and joined the boys helping to arrange the blocks.

Racell got out of bed more slowly and went into the bathing room to wash her face. She tiredly pulled on the gown she had worn yesterday and brushed back her hair.

Coming out, she watched the three younger ones playing. Moving to the window seat behind the table, she saw that the twins had set a breakfast tray there.

She poured herself some juice and picked up an apple. Sitting down, she pulled her knees up and methodically ate the fruit and stared sightlessly out the window.

Dinna's laugh at something one of the twins had done made her heart sink and she put her half-eaten apple on the tray. She was going to have to tell her.

She set down her mug and sighed deeply. Maybe it was best if Elladan and Elrohir were here when she told her the news.

"Dinna, come here and have some breakfast." The youngster turned to her and Racell smiled. "You can't play on an empty stomach."

The little one jumped off the chair and picked up a sticky muffin and ate it quickly, honey dripping off her chin (which Racell wiped up). She took a mug of juice and wrapping both hands about it she emptied it swiftly. Then picking up a hard-boiled egg, she peeled the shell off and ate it in three bites. She wiped her face and beamed at her sister. Then she rejoined the elflings. 

It had taken her just over five minutes to eat her meal.

Racell bit her lower lip and then took a deep breath. "Elladan and Elrohir, could you please take this tray back to the kitchen for us while Dinna gets dressed?"

"All right Racell," Elladan said as he crawled out of his chair, Elrohir following. The two carried either side of the tray and left the room.

Dinna jumped on the bed and started humming an elvish song as Racell brought her a chemise and a gown.

Dressing quickly Dinna went to get her boots when Racell stopped her. "Dinna, oh Dinna," Racell blurted out hugging her hard. "Uncle Nagron died last night."

Dinna went still in her arms and then she looked up at Racell, swallowing hard. "He-he is gone?"

"Just like Mum and Daddy." Racell said, tears glistening in her eyes.

Dinna hugged Racell back hard. The two girls sat on the bed together, holding on to the other.

Dinna pulled away after a moment. "Can I see him?'

"I think Ada Elrond is taking care of him Dinna."

Nodding, the little girl stuck her thumb in her mouth. Racell just sat holding her.

So wrapped in their thoughts, the two did not notice when Celebrian came quietly in the room. As she stepped into their view, Racell looked up startled and then ducked her head. 

Celebrian sat next to her and her soft floral scent enveloped Racell and she sighed as she leaned against the she-elf who put her arm around her shoulders. The elf remained quiet for a few minutes just letting the girls settle themselves. Finally she sat the older girl up and looked into both children's faces. "Racell, Dinna, do not be so sad. Your Uncle Nagron has gone on to join his ancestors. He is at peace and no longer in pain."

Dinna asked, "What are ancestors?"

"Those of your family who have gone on before you."

"So he has joined Mum and Daddy? They are having breakfast together?"

"Perhaps." Celebrian laughed hugging the little ones. "Come girls. Let us be about our work today. In work is solace, my doves."

"Solace?"

"Peace sweet one."

"All right." Dinna jumped off the bed and went and got her boots and put them on, Racell slowly following. As much as Celebrian was being kind to them, Racell still felt all out of sorts.

The two girls followed the she elf outside into the bright morning and the three went to the stables and the riding ring behind it. 

Dinna excited at the sight of a pony waiting for her next to the twins, ran to the fence railing. One of the stable hands, Balasfinal, reached over and picked up the excited child and set her on her pony whose name was simply Loth.

Racell and Celebrian watched the first few circuits of the little ones who concentrated very hard on the instructions given them by Balasfinal. 

After a half hour, Lord Elrond joined them. Glancing sharply at the quiet Racell, he looked to his wife who shook her head slightly saying softly in his mind. "Her spirit is unsettled my love. It is terrible for one so young to feel the fragility of mortality! I shall take her out to the garden and see if a little digging in the soil will help."

"As you will Cel. If you need my help, do not hesitate. I shall watch the little ones here."

Celebrian sent him a kiss, which brought a smile to the elf lord's face. 

Celebrian tugged on Racell gently. "Shall we go to the garden now?"

The child nodded and followed her slowly.

Once in the confines of Celebrian's private garden, a wonderful selection of plants that produced purple blooms or whose leaves were tinged purple, the she-elf got busy. Handing the child a small trowel, she pointed to the iris bulbs that needed replanting and showing Racell once, the youngster got to work.

As she dug holes in the damp soil she thought about her family. Her Mum and Daddy and now Uncle Nagron. The assorted Rangers that had come to visit their farm, some with children. Her life had been quiet and focused on the few people in it.

And now all that was gone. She stole a glance at Celebrian who was kneeling on a cloth and planting. She was completely different from her mother. Racell's mother had brown skin and fine wrinkles around her eyes. Even a few gray hairs. Her hands were tough from working around the farm. But just like Nana Celebrian she could be soft and understanding. She had been good at soothing hurts and frights too.

But Nana Celebrian and Ada Elrond were elves. Elves. So different from her parents. Always beautiful and pleasant, rarely angry or frustrated. Their clothes never got worn or dirty (except when they fell in the river or played!). Their meals were large and various. And Rivendell! So big and orderly and lovely. The gardens and the buildings. Well, neither she nor Dinna had ever imagined anything like this.

And now for better or worse, it was their home. 

She sighed heavily, wondering if she would ever see Rangers again. Or any humans at all.

"Are you thinking of your uncle Racell?"

"Yes Nana." Racell unconsciously dropping the "Celebrian" sat back on her knees and looked at the smiling she-elf. "I was thinking how Dinna and I have no family but you now." She lowered her head and her lip quivered. "I-I love it here and so does Dinna, but I feel so –so...alone!" Racell put her trowel down and got up and went to the opposite corner of the garden under the swaying branches of a willow with slightly purple leaves.

Celebrian got up wiping her hands and went over to the girl who was huddled on a stone bench beneath the tree.

"Oh my little sparrow." She wrapped her arms around her and rocked her gently. Racell relaxed into her embrace and the tears came freely until she was sobbing. The she-elf rubbed the child's back slowly, letting her get it all out.

After a few minutes, Racell looked up into the warm eyes of Celebrian and said. "You are not mad I said I am lonely here?"

"No child. I can completely understand. And it may not help to know this but the simple truth is we are all, each of us alone. The others around us give us love and companionship, but at the end of the day, we are alone."

"Well, I do have Dinna and she and I are together." Racell looked up wiping her eyes, "And you have Ada Elrond, and the twins."

"Yes, but it is only me sitting here. Only my thoughts and dreams, which I share sometimes. But," she tapped Racell gently on the forehead. "But in here. We are ever alone my sparrow." She hugged her close. "Outside, we have all this life and I tell you truly, you and Dinna DO have our love. And Rivendell is your home now."

Racell nodded against the she-elf-s shoulder, suddenly yawning. Why did crying always make you tired?

Celebrian gathered Racell into her lap more comfortably and began to sing softly and rock the child again.

With a deep sigh, Racell slid into sleep.

An hour later, the child opened her eyes and found she was lying on a blanket under the willow tree. Yawning she rubbed her eyes and saw that Celebrian was sitting at a table set for tea at the other end of the garden on a small terrace. She sat up slowly bringing a hand to her head because it ached slightly. Careful of her gown, she got up and went to the she-elf, who looked up with a smile. "Do you feel a little better Racell?"

"My head hurts." Racell pulled out a chair and looked hungrily at the food and drink laid out there.

"Have some tea and eat something. You'll feel better in a little while."

Nodding Racell reached for the bread and jam, while Celebrian poured her some tea and added honey to it.

Racell ate in silence.

Once finished, she rolled a few bread crumbs under her fingers on the snowy linen. Celebrian worked quietly at some embroidery in her lap.

Racell, feeling much better with the food in her tummy, leaned back 

in her chair and stared at the sky overhead, watching a few clouds sail by.

So. Uncle Nagron and her Mum and Daddy were dead. And she was now head of their house. She picked up the ring on her chest. The Ring of Barahir. This made her special Ada Elrond had said. Well, if she was special (and Dinna too) it made sense to be special here in Rivendell, which was most certainly out of the ordinary.

And here she could learn things. Had already begun to.

She reached for her tea and took a big gulp, wiping her hand across her mouth when she had finished.

Celebrian laughed and said, "Young ladies do not wipe their mouths with their hands Racell. Use your napkin."

Grinning, Racell picked up the cloth and wiped her face carefully.

As she set the napkin down, Elrond and the three smaller ones came out on the terrace from the house. The children ran up to the table and sat expectantly. Elrond came over to Celebrian and kissed her. The twins both went "Ewww!" And the girls laughed.

Dinna sitting next to Racell said excitedly as her sister tucked a napkin under her chin and as Elrond did the same across from her, "We rode really good today Racell! Balasfinal was very pleased and so was Ada! I got to give Loth a piece of apple and helped put her away in her stall. I am good 

with horses!"

"Racell laughed. "Of course you are. You and Whin are great friends. Maybe I can ride with you tomorrow?" She looked over at the two adults who were smiling. Elrond and Celebrian nodded, the she-elf adding, "As soon as your lessons with Manarenil are finished."

"Yes Nana." Both girls chorused automatically and then began to eat.

Racell looked up from her second slice of bread and watched the family talking and laughing.

Dinna was kneeling on her chair and helping Elrohir spread butter on his bread.

Racell sat back in her chair and her heart lifted suddenly. No matter what, this WAS her family now. And even though she and Dinna were human, she realized with a great rush of warmth that they were loved.

And they were home.

It was Uncle Nagron's finest gift.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE END~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


End file.
